The magic is over, but the movement has only just begun.

It’s different for the New York Mets to say the season didn’t end in a total collapse, with players and staff alike proud of what they delivered in 175 games — and for the fan base that was there with them and believed it.

After all, the 2024 Mets advanced to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, beating the Braves, the Brewers and the Phillies along the way. They took the superteam Dodgers to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, despite projection systems that gave them a 5% chance of winning the NLDS, let alone coming within two wins of the World Series.

When their unexpected and iconic season finally ended Sunday night in Los Angeles, there remained a handful of legitimate reasons for the Mets to look ahead with optimism and hope. Let’s take a moment to explore how this season’s exploits have turned the Mets into consistent contenders, setting a new standard for annual success.

1. Mark Vientos is a ‘bona fide top class player’

That’s how first baseman Pete Alonso described 24-year-old Vientos, who was left off the Opening Day roster and fought his way into the starting third base job in mid-May. Once Vientos was in the Majors for good this year, he never dropped his OPS below .837 in 111 regular-season games. He was solid on defense at a tough position where he only had 21 games of MLB experience before this year. He then upped his game in October, crushing five home runs, collecting 24 RBIs, hitting .327 and posting a .998 OPS in 13 playoff games.

“When I talk about some of our younger players and the way they are developing, he is right at the top,” manager Carlos Mendoz told reporters at Vientos in Los Angeles on Sunday. “It wasn’t easy for him. He had to fight for an opportunity. He finally got it and he ran with it. And if you look at the numbers in the regular season, he plays a big role, a big reason why we did this have achieved.” point and then the play-offs.”

Vientos, a few years removed from making his MLB debut in September 2022, exceeded expectations this year with his consistency. The Plantation, Florida product showed the kind of makeup and put on the kind of performance that a front office can build around. Whether the powers that be will decide Vientos’ future at third base will largely depend on whether the Mets can strike a deal for Alonso, who is about to approach free agency.

But regardless of Vientos’ position in the field, the Mets should not hesitate to take on the competition from their Atlanta division rivals and sign him to a long-term deal. In the space of a season, Vientos’ vision changed from let’s see what he can offer, to real excitement for the near future.

2. Money – lots of money – comes off the books and the farm starts to grow

Last winter, the Mets gambled on one-year deals for Sean Manaea and Luis Serverino, both of whom became essential players in their deep playoff run. Now, New York is in a good position with both starters eager to return, and there is an intriguing top free agent in Corbin Burnes to consider adding to the rotation. Pitchers on the books for 2025 include: Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Tylor Megill, Paul Blackburn and Jose Butto.

Additionally, the Mets will have more financial wiggle room as they have a lot of money coming off the books. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer owed a combined $57 million in 2024, and that won’t be the case next year. The Mets finished this season with an estimated payroll of $336 million, and that number is expected to drop to around $170 million heading into next month’s free agency, according to FanGraphs.

But the organization’s long-term goal has always been to build a sustainable competitor through critical free resources and agricultural systems development. We saw some of that vision come to fruition this year, thanks to Luisangel Acuña’s encouraging MLB debut and Vientos’ remarkable rise. Next year, New York’s top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat should be in the mix as a possible rotation addition, as well as potential roster upgrades from top infielders Ronny Mauricio and Jett Williams and top outfield prospect Drew Gilbert.

As Francisco Lindor said Sunday, “There’s something special going on here.”

This year’s selection provided a taste of how far the organization can go in pairing core veterans (Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and Starling Marte) with emerging youngsters (Francisco Alvarez, Vientos and Acuńa). That concept should come into play again for these Mets in the coming years.

3. The new regime is synchronous

The trifecta of owner Steve Cohen, new president of baseball operations David Stearns and first-year manager Mendoza provided an excellent, stable foundation on which the organization could build. Cohen became more involved in the day-to-day operations and became more visible and approachable to his staff and players. Stearns did what he does best, filling the Mets roster in the ballpark with smart moves and setting up the runway that allowed the team to get two wins before the World Series. Mendoza’s calm and poised demeanor, especially in times of deep need and ultimate highs, created a sense of fearlessness within the clubhouse.

In the end it all led to respect. The Mets have become a normal organization this season – a place that free-agent players would love to come play for – maybe Juan Soto? – especially those who have something to prove; a family that not only enjoys a bit of fun, but will also lean on the eccentricities that allow people to be themselves and push their efforts to the limit; and a team that won’t stay in the cellar, but will fight its way out because the benchmark is a championship.

There is legitimate trust and complete buy-in from players and staff operating under Cohen, Stearns and Mendoza. These three leaders have not only made it credible that the Mets’ success can be sustainable, but they will make sure it is. The Mets have made the postseason only twice in consecutive years in franchise history (1999-2000, 2015-2016). The new regime has made it possible, perhaps for the first time ever, to consider the Mets being able to commit to doing what they did this year on an annual basis.

“I was just telling the guys how proud I was because not only have we become a really good team, we’ve become a family,” Mendoza said. “And now we’ve raised the bar. Expectations now, this is what we have to strive for every year, to play deep into October. And we showed that this year.”

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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