5 Storylines for Mets Fans to Watch for in Final Week of Regular Season

The New York Mets are playing out the string for the 2026 season. However, there are still a few compelling reasons to watch them play before the campaign concludes.

Francisco Lindor is still one home run away from his 300th. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Monday marks the final off day of the 2026 campaign for the New York Mets before a lot more of them start next week. With the Mets officially eliminated from postseason contention, their six-game road trip to Texas and Washington will mark the conclusion of their disappointing 2026 season.

As fall arrives on Tuesday evening and most fans settle into typical routines for the season, there's a temptation to skip the rest of the Mets' regular season. There are, however, a few key storylines to watch over the final six games of the 2026 season, especially since there's no guarantee when baseball will return from a potential lockout.

Francisco Lindor's 300th home run

While Pete Alonso hit his 300th career homer at Citi Field last week, the Mets are still waiting on Lindor to join the party. Lindor has been stuck at 299 long balls since he went deep twice against the New York Yankees on Sept. 12th, leaving him the rest of this week to try to accomplish the milestone in the 2026 season.

Neither Texas nor Washington profile as truly hitter-friendly parks, so it may take a perfect swing from Lindor to get the job done. Fans should at least be peeking in for Lindor's at-bats to see if he further etches his place in the history books as just the third shortstop ever to hit 300 homers while playing the position.

Where the Mets' final record ends up

The Mets have played well since the trade deadline and are aiming to finish strong to build positive momentum for 2027. There is still a chance that a good week could help the Mets pass the Nationals and avoid last place in the National League East for the first time since 2003, but the more dramatic scenario could involve how the team's win-loss record shakes out.

A 71-85 record means that the Mets need to win two games this week to avoid losing 90 games for the first time since 2017, which would be a respectable salvage of a lost season. The other important thing to track is where the Mets stand in terms of their draft positioning for 2027, where they enter with the fifth-worst record in the league.

A top-six finish would give them a 51.1 percent chance to avoid having their pick drop 10 slots due to luxury tax penalties, according to Tankathon's odds, which could provide David Stearns with valuable bonus pool money to add more pieces to the club's farm system.

Playing spoiler to Texas

This situation applies early in the week, as the Mets have a chance to significantly impact the American League West title chase when they take on the Rangers, who have a one-game lead in the division with a week to go. Texas does not hold the tiebreaker over Houston, which is currently in second place, so if the Mets can steal a game or two in Arlington, it could potentially knock the Rangers out of the playoffs.

The series also has some extra stakes as it is the first time the Mets will see Brandon Nimmo since trading him to the Rangers over the winter for Marcus Semien. Nimmo has put up his typical numbers for the Rangers, batting .261 with 14 home runs, 61 RBI, and a .732 OPS entering the week, but the Mets would love the opportunity to ensure his team doesn't make the playoffs.

One last look at the young starters

The Mets are back to a five-man rotation after Monday's off day, and a pair of Sean Manaea starts sandwich the final regular-season outings for the club's young starters. Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton are slated to pitch the final two games of the Texas series while Christian Scott and Jonah Tong face off against the Nationals in D.C. on Friday and Saturday.

New York Mets starting pitcher Zac Thornton will get one more chance to solidify his spot in the rotation for next season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It feels like only McLean and Scott are sure things for the 2027 rotation, meaning strong outings from Thornton and Tong could significantly swing the needle in either direction. It is a slight surprise that the Mets didn't shut down either Scott or Thornton after significant innings jumps, but these extra outings could set them up well to give the team more innings in 2027.

Last call for the Baby Mets?

The "Baby Mets" could be staring at a last-call scenario as the Mets will need to make roster decisions on a few of them this winter. Both Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio are out of options, while Francisco Alvarez could be a trade candidate if the Mets seek to exploit a league-wide shortage of quality catching to improve other areas of their roster.

The safest baby Met appears to be Brett Baty, who has hit well in September and could offer value as a utility infielder for 2027. However, it's not impossible to think that none of these players, once viewed as core pieces, will be on the Opening Day roster when the 2027 season begins.

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