The 2026 MLB season ended fittingly for the New York Mets.

In Washington for the final series, the Mets dropped two out of three to the Nationals. Consequently, the Mets finished with a 74-88 record, last place in the NL East. It is New York’s first time finishing in the bottom of the division since 2003. The team’s 74 wins are the franchise’s lowest since 2017.

While there were plenty of positives to emerge from the season, particularly down the stretch, the 2026 season will be remembered as a monumental failure.

We’ll do a full autopsy on Tuesday, but first, let’s recap the Nationals series in the final regular edition of 3 Up, 3 Down of the year…

Carson Benge by Roberto Carlo

3 UP

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Carson Benge deserves to be named the National League Rookie of the Year. Whether he wins the award remains to be seen, but he couldn’t have done much else. The outfielder capped off a truly special rookie season with just a masterful series in Washington. The weekend started with history being made, with Benge hitting his 20th home run of the year to become the first Mets rookie in franchise history to join the 20/20 club. If that wasn’t enough, Benge then followed that up with back-to-back three-hit games. He finished with 14 such games in the year. Overall, Benge looks like an absolute stud, and his future with the Mets appears very bright.

MILESTONE MAN

I feel like Francisco Lindor deserves a mention here. The 2026 season was overall tough for Lindor, but he finished in style. The shortstop signed off the year by hitting his 300th career home run in the final game of the season. As a result, Lindor is now the only primary shortstop in MLB history to record 300 home runs and 200 stolen bases. Lindor’s 300 homers are also the seventh-most in MLB history among Puerto Rican-born players. All told, it was a nice way for Lindor to end what was arguably the toughest year of his career. Don’t be surprised if he bounces back emphatically in 2027.

YOUNG HOPE

The final series of the year provided plenty of encouragement thanks to Ronny Mauricio and Jonah Tong. For Tong, the young starter was excellent on the mound on Saturday, striking out nine while allowing just one run on three hits over five stellar innings. He showed plenty of upside in his final start, calming some of the fears that hovered over him following an uneven year in the minors. Overall, Tong finishes 2026 with a 3.82 ERA, and he’s set himself up to compete for a spot in the rotation in spring training. Mauricio, meanwhile, had himself a monster series. The infielder hit two home runs with three RBIs on Saturday, before blasting another homer with two RBIs on Sunday. While his future remains uncertain, Mauricio flashed his upside, and maybe he could be an option at second base.

Jun 13, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) walks back to the dugout after the top of the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

PUT OUT OF THEIR MISERY

The 2026 season is finally over. A long and hugely disappointing 162-game schedule is now complete. Following a loss in the series opener on Friday, the Mets were officially consigned to last place in the NL East for the first time since 2003. While the result is no surprise, the franchise should still be embarrassed by how this season unfolded. And while there is hope for the future, the team will need to wear the stink of 2026 for a while.

FINISHING WEAK

The Sean Manaea outlook remains murky for the Mets. The veteran finished a complicated season on a low note. Taking the ball in the series finale, Manaea blew a 4-1 lead and gave up five earned runs on seven hits over six tough innings. Consequently, the lefty finished with a 4.78 ERA on the year after allowing 32 earned runs over his final eight starts. With a need to fortify the rotation, what the Mets decide to do with Manaea remains to be seen.

DOOMED FROM THE START

The Mets knew they had a chance to avoid finishing in last place in the division. However, that small chance was quickly wiped out in the series opener. Going with an opener, the Mets were effectively doomed from the start. Jefry Yan allowed two runs as the opener before Jonathan Pintaro allowed three earned runs on three wild pitches. Ultimately, the bullpen let the Mets down on Friday, sealing their fate as bottom dwellers.