Where Mets possible collapse would rank among the worst in recent MLB history

Brandon Sproat delivered six shutout innings against the red-hot Texas Rangers in his second MLB start and Juan Soto launched his 40th home run of the year, yet, the New York Mets found a way to blow an eighth-inning two-run lead to drop their eighth in a row, falling on Saturday, 3-2. With that loss, the Mets no longer control their destiny in the NL Wild Card race.

To say this has been a stunning turn of events would be an understatement. The Mets signed Soto to a record-breaking 15-year deal fresh off an NLCS appearance in 2024, giving fans reason to believe this team had what it took to win the World Series. They played like a World Series-caliber team for the first three months of the year, but their play ever since has been among the worst in the sport.

There are still 13 games to be played for New York. We know they have the talent to make it, but they haven't given fans reason to believe they'll actually turn things around. If they're unable to flip the script, they will finish off one of the worst collapses in MLB history. Here's where it would rank among the worst in recent memory if they finish what they appear to be starting.

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5. Detroit Tigers, 2009

The 2009 Detroit Tigers were in first place in the AL Central from May 10 through the end of the regular season. With that information, you'd assume they won the division handily, right? Well, not exactly.

The Tigers were seemingly in cruise control and led by as many as 7.0 games on September 6 before preparing to face the last-place Kansas City Royals. Detroit would get swept in Kansas City, leading to poor play, which included a series loss against the second-place Minnesota Twins. Despite their poor showing in September, the Tigers entered a late-September four-game series at home against Minnesota needing to just win three of four to clinch. They split that four-game set, meaning they entered the final weekend of the season with a 2.0-game lead over the Twins with three games to go.

If the Tigers could've just won one game and the Twins lost once, Detroit would've clinched the division. Unfortunately, while the Tigers did win a game, the Twins didn't lose, meaning they each ended the regular season with identical 86-76 records. This created a Game 163 to be played in Minnesota with the season on the line.

In what turned out to be an insane back-and-forth affair, the Twins won it in 12 innings, punching their ticket to the postseason. The Tigers blew a 3.0 game lead with four games to play, just an unfathomable collapse. Yet, it wasn't the worst in recent memory.

4. New York Mets, 2025*

Now, it's important to throw a big asterisk here. The Mets, as of now, have not officially collapsed yet. The season is not over, and they could very well make the playoffs. IF they fail to do so, though, it's the fourth-worst collapse in recent memory as of this writing.

After rattling off their sixth-straight win in mid-June, the Mets improved to 45-24, the best mark in the majors. Since that win, the Mets have played like one of the worst teams in the sport, going 31-49. They were struggling before the trade deadline, but made several moves aimed at improving the team's weaknesses, and a lot of their struggles had a lot to do with a long list of starting pitching injuries. They've been relatively healthy down the stretch, though, and yet, they've been unable to win games.

The Mets entered the month of August in first place in the NL East - they now trail the Philadelphia Phillies by 12.5 games just a month and a half later. What's been more shocking, though, has been the ground they've lost in the Wild Card chase. On August 3, the Mets lost first place to Philadelphia, but were sitting in sole possession of the second Wild Card spot, 2.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs for the top spot and 5.0 games ahead of the Reds for the third spot.

After defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of an important three-game series on Sept. 5, the Mets were tied for the second Wild Card spot in the NL and held a 4.0-game lead over the San Francisco Giants for the third spot. What makes this even worse is that the Mets made a trade with the Giants, acquiring Tyler Rogers for a package that included Jose Butto and Drew Gilbert, two players who have helped the Giants a ton down the stretch.

The reason why I have this possible collapse ahead of Detroit's is because of how talented this Mets team is. I mean, they were clearly in the World Series conversation and held the best record in the sport in mid-June. How they went from going to the NLCS last season to potentially missing the playoffs after being as many as 21 games with Juan Soto is beyond me. They have time to turn it around, but if not, yikes.

3. New York Mets, 2007

It's only fitting that the Mets are on here twice. The 2006 Mets, much like the 2024 club, lost in the NLCS in heartbreaking fashion, and appeared to be very determined to get over the hump the following year. They entered play on September 13 with the best record in the majors and a 7.0 game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. We can all predict what happened next.

The Mets were swept on their home field by the Phillies, cutting their lead to just 3.5 games and kicking off a stretch in which they lost 12 of 17 to end the regular season. This included losing two series against the lowly Washington Nationals and dropping two out of three against the Marlins to put the nail in their coffin.

What makes this collapse even worse is how the season ended. The Mets entered Game 162 deadlocked with Philadelphia, needing to just beat the Marlins to, at the very least, earn a chance to play a Game 163. That game was essentially over in the first inning, though, as future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine allowed seven runs while recording only one out.

What makes this collapse worse than 2025 is that it came out of nowhere. The 2007 Mets were cruising until mid-September. Their collapse was shocking and startling. The 2025 Mets haven't played well since June. It's shocking to see that they haven't found a way to turn it around, but at some point, they just are who they are.

2. Atlanta Braves, 2011

The 2011 Atlanta Braves began the month of September with a very slim chance of catching the Phillies in the NL East, but they held an 8.5-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card race and were comfortably one of the best teams in the NL. Well, until they weren't.

In the month of September, the Braves went 9-18. This included a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals in St. Louis and a total of two series wins. What puts the icing on the cake, though, is that the Cardinals won four of their last five games while the Braves lost each of their last five including a heartbreaking defeat in Game 162.

Facing a Phillies team with nothing to play for at home, the Braves took a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning with Craig Kimbrel, the eventual NL Rookie of the Year winner who was good enough to receive Cy Young votes as a closer, taking the hill. Sure enough, Kimbrel allowed four of the six batters he faced to reach base, three of whom did so via walk. One of the two outs he recorded was a game-tying sacrifice fly. Kris Medlen was able to get out of that jam, but the Phillies had tied it.

The game went to extra innings, but the Braves couldn't scratch a run across. The Phillies did so in the top of the 13th, and the Braves failed to respond. With the Cardinals having secured a win that same day, the Braves' season ended in heartbreaking fashion.

1. Boston Red Sox, 2011

Blowing a ninth-inning lead in Game 162 to lose out on a playoff appearance hurts a ton, but somehow, the Braves weren't even responsible for the worst collapse of the 2011 season. That title belongs to the Boston Red Sox, who found even more ways to choke the postseason away.

Boston had two realistic paths to make it to the playoffs. They began the month of September with a 1.5-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East and a 9.0-game lead in the AL Wild Card race. Boston's goal was obviously to win the division, but at least they'd have the Wild Card as a fallback if they failed to do so, right? RIGHT? Not exactly. The Red Sox went an incomprehensible 7-20 in September, which is just insane for a team that began the month 31 games over .500.

There are a couple of factors that make this Red Sox collapse worse than Atlanta's. First, as mentioned above, the Red Sox had two paths to making the playoffs, while Atlanta only really had one. Second, as heartbreaking as Atlanta's Game 162 was, Boston's, somehow, was even worse.

The Red Sox entered Game 162 with the same record as the Tampa Bay Rays. All they needed to clinch a postseason berth was a win and a Tampa Bay loss, and for most of that day, it appeared as if those outcomes were going to occur, as Boston held a late lead and the Yankees were beating the Rays 7-0. Somehow, neither one ended up happening.

The Red Sox began the bottom of the ninth against the 68-93 Baltimore Orioles with a 3-2 lead. Jonathan Papelbon struck out each of the first two batters he faced, only to let Chris Davis and Nolan Reimold hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game and the light-hitting Robert Andino win it with a run-scoring single. Not only were the Red Sox on the verge of winning, but they were one out away.

As crushing as that was, Boston would remain alive with a Yankees win. Unfortunately, Red Sox fans were reminded why they can't stand the Bronx Bombers, as in the one time they wanted the Yankees to win, they did not. Their 7-0 lead evaporated as the Rays scored six runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to tie the game. In the 12th inning, Evan Longoria hit one of the most memorable regular-season home runs to win it, sending the Rays to the postseason and ending Boston's season.

The Red Sox blew a massive lead in the month of September and everything that could've gone wrong, did, in Game 162 on multiple fronts. This is, undoubtedly, the worst collapse in recent MLB history.