I Am All In on the 2022 New York Mets

Being a Mets fan has never been an easy task. I did not ask to be a fan of this team, I was born into it. And as such, I take my fandom seriously. If you know me, you know I allow the outcome of Mets games to dictate my mood.

I have endured countless years of trauma and have been the butt of a lot of jokes due to the Mets. The thing is, I would not want it to be any other way. Sure, it would be easier to be a fan of a team that constantly makes deep playoff pushes. Still, I sit through 162 games of Mets baseball—the good, the bad, everything. It builds character and makes me who I am today. When the Mets eventually lift the World Series trophy (during my lifetime), all the suffering will be worth it.

I remember where I was when Luis Castillo dropped the pop up in the Subway Series and cost the Mets the game. I remember where I was when the Mets batted out of order. I remember where I was, and even who I was with, when José Reyes stepped onto the mound to make his pitching debut in 2018 when the Mets ultimately lost 25-4 to the Nationals. And I remember dropping to my knees and screaming when Jeurys Familia blew the game in the 2015 World Series.

But I also remember Endy Chávez throwing me a ball during batting practice when I was younger. I remember running to my seats with my dad after sitting in tons of traffic and just barely making it in time to see Mike Piazza’s number get retired. I remember crying when No. 31 was unveiled that afternoon. I remember throwing a baseball down to Johan Santana to sign when I saw him leaving a Spring Training game. I remember waiting on long lines to get specialty Mets bobbleheads. I remember the organization sending me a care package when I was sick in the hospital last year.

With any type of fandom, there will always be highs and lows. Sure, the lows felt like the end of the world when they happened, but I continue to buy into the Mets season after season, even if there is no reason to.

This year feels different though. Owner Steve Cohen put his money where his mouth is and made acquisitions that have been proven successful in Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha. He locked one of the best players in MLB Francisco Lindor up for 10 years. As a diehard Mets fan himself, Cohen has the fans and winning in mind, unlike the Wilpons.

It is after midnight as I write this, and a few hours have gone by since the Mets completed a 5-2 comeback win against a good Cardinals team. The Mets have won all five series they played, including taking three-of-four from the Giants, a team many said was better than New York and will make a postseason run. This Mets team has the strength and determination to go far, and I truly believe they will.

There is a feeling in the air when the Mets play. They have a newfound swagger and poise about them. Maybe it is the addition of new manager Buck Showalter, who is invested in the team and makes adjustments that show he is a veteran of the game with a high baseball IQ and knowledge of who is representing Flushing.

I don’t dread watching games and feel like the Mets are always in it. I know the season is still fresh, but I am officially declaring myself all in on the Amazins. I used to laugh at that nickname, but this year it actually feels appropriate to call the Mets that.

No matter what the outcome, the Mets will always mean the world to me. This organization got me through the good times, the bad times, and everything in between. I will always bleed blue and orange and will be there the day they eventually lift another World Series trophy.

LFGM!

(Photo: Peter Joneleit-Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)