The magical carpet ride of the New York Mets 2024 never fails to amaze.

Against all odds, these remarkable Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four games and advanced to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2015.

And at this point, can you really bet on this team beating either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the San Diego Padres and making it to the World Series? They just don’t know when to stop and they have all the juice right now.

And with that in mind, we’re diving into a very special edition of Six Up. Yes, that’s right, we do things a little differently today. Because how can there possibly be anything negative after what the Mets just did?

Let’s get on with the show…

Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

SIX UP

AGAINST ALL ADVANCES

Not only is the headline above an absolute classic from Phil Collins, but it should also be the official mantra of the 2024 Mets. Because no matter the situation, no matter the opponent, no matter the amount of adversity thrown at them, this team always finds a way to deliver. Many, including myself, felt like their run against the Phillies would come to an abrupt end. And yet the Mets made what was supposed to be a World Series contender look anything but. In fact, New York more closely resembles a team that could go on and win it all. Granted, the Mets will have to overcome greater odds to be crowned the kings of baseball. But at this point, they will undoubtedly enjoy this challenge.

MVP! MVP! MVP!

What would the Mets be without Francisco Lindor? We’ve said the same phrase many times this year, but after Wednesday it feels even more relevant. In a game four where there was little offense, Lindor invented the monster hit to end all monster hits. His grand slam in the sixth inning put the Mets on top for good while also punching their ticket to the NLCS. Lindor has consistently performed well for his team this year, but his heroics in Game 4 could well be the defining moment of a truly outstanding year.

GET HOT

Pete Alonso stepped up when it really mattered most. After his heroics in the Wild Card series, Alonso enjoyed an incredibly productive series against Philadelphia. He went 4-of-13 with two home runs, a double, four walks, three RBIs and three runs scored. Alonso is now hitting .273/.433/.727 in October. The Mets have always needed Alonso to take over games when they want to make a deep run, and that’s exactly what’s happening so far.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

RISING STAR

ESPN should commission one 30 for 30 To Mark Vientos‘ meteoric rise in 2024. It’s truly a stunning story, especially considering his Mets future was already in doubt back in March. But a look to the present shows the young slugger playing an important role in an unlikely postseason push. Vientos is currently on a four-game multi-hit streak, including nine hits and five RBIs against the Phillies. Additionally, Vientos’ RBI double in the eighth inning of Game One helped change the entire tenor of the series. Overall, Vientos has been flying high for this team in terms of his accomplishments in October.

PITCHING MASTERCLASS

The Mets starting rotation deserves a collective Cy Young Award, especially for what they achieved in this series. All four starters performed well and then some, helping shut down a dangerous Phillies lineup. Kodai Senga was impressive in his brief appearance in Game 1, although he did allow a leadoff home run. Luis Severino was excellent for most of the second game but allowed two consecutive home runs. Sean Manaeawho is quickly proving he is an ace for this team, delivered an absolutely stunning start in the third game, allowing just one run in more than seven innings. Then, in the decisive fourth game, Jose Quintana delivered his best and most important start of the year and helped send the Mets to the NLCS. Overall, the starting pitching has been beyond exceptional in this series, and the Mets have a real chance to do something special this October because of the rotation.

Much needed relief

Speaking of pitching, let’s give the bullpen its flowers. Yes, there were some scary moments in this series when it came to the Mets’ backup players. But overall they delivered when they really had to. David Peterson pitched three scoreless innings in relief in the first game. Reed Garrett followed by two scoreless innings to get the job done. Both Garrett and Peterson were perfect earlier in the fourth game Edwin Diaz atone for some previous sins by earning the save and sending Mets fans into an uproar. Yes, this bullpen is gassed. Yes, this group of aids is powered by vapors. But despite everything, they always find a way to get their work done, just like the entire team itself.