The New York Mets’ Disappointing Season and the Aftermath of Rivalry
The 2024 baseball season ended in disappointment for the New York Mets, who entered the year with high expectations but ultimately fell short of the playoffs. After a mediocre September and a 5-5 record in their final ten games, the Mets found themselves watching the postseason from home, despite having assembled what many considered a championship-caliber roster. This unexpected collapse became fodder for discussion across New York’s sports media landscape, with Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay offering particularly pointed commentary about a subset of Mets fans who had previously reveled in the Yankees’ struggles.
In a passionate segment on “The Michael Kay Show,” the longtime Yankees announcer expressed sympathy for the majority of Mets supporters while targeting what he described as a “vicious, angry subset” who had directed personal attacks his way throughout the season. Kay specifically referenced the aftermath of his reporting on Juan Soto, the superstar outfielder who joined the Mets after his stint with the Yankees. Kay had previously reported that Soto appeared “very, very glum around the clubhouse” during his time with the Yankees, a comment that apparently triggered significant backlash from certain Mets fans who accused Kay of fabricating the story. “I feel glee about your pain today because you deserve it,” Kay admitted on his show, directing his comments at those fans who had sent him taunting messages about Soto’s apparent happiness with the Mets.
The broadcaster’s comments highlighted the intense rivalry between New York’s two baseball franchises and their fan bases. Kay took particular issue with fans who had declared the Mets to be the city’s “big brother” now, especially during a 51-game stretch when the Yankees struggled to a 20-31 record. “When they went 20-31 over those 51 games, you were rejoicing,” Kay said of these particular Mets supporters. “Plan B worked. Your Plan A didn’t,” he added, referring to the Yankees’ success despite losing Soto while the Mets failed to make the playoffs despite adding the superstar to their lineup. It was a stark reminder of how expectations don’t always align with results in baseball, regardless of payroll or star power.
The saga surrounding Juan Soto added another layer to this crosstown rivalry narrative. Despite Soto’s impressive individual performance with the Mets—finishing the season with 43 home runs, 105 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases—the team’s collective failure stood in stark contrast to the success of the Yankees, who advanced to the postseason despite losing the talented outfielder. Kay seemed to take particular satisfaction in this outcome, noting, “You signed the best free agent available in a long time… and you still fell flat on your face.” The irony wasn’t lost on Kay that the Mets had added Soto to a team that had reached Game 6 of the NLCS the previous year, only to miss the playoffs entirely, while the Yankees moved forward without him.
Throughout his commentary, Kay repeatedly emphasized that his criticism wasn’t directed at the entire Mets fan base. “I got a lot of Mets friends. They’re devastated today. How could you not be?” he acknowledged, expressing genuine sympathy for longtime supporters who had once again seen their team “systematically rip your heart out.” Kay reserved his pointed remarks for those who had personally attacked him and gloated over the Yankees’ struggles earlier in the season. “You’re the creeps that couldn’t let good enough be,” he said, directly addressing those fans who had sent him taunting messages about Soto’s apparent happiness with the Mets, asking them, “How dumb do you feel? How chagrined are you? Are you embarrassed?”
As the Mets front office began strategizing for improvements in 2026, the contrast in the two teams’ fortunes couldn’t have been more pronounced. While Mets executives contemplated another offseason of roster reconstruction, the Yankees were preparing for their wild-card playoff series against their historic rivals, the Boston Red Sox. The situation perfectly encapsulated the unpredictable nature of baseball—how the best-laid plans and highest payrolls don’t guarantee success, while teams that navigate adversity sometimes find themselves playing meaningful October baseball. For Mets fans, it was another painful reminder of unfulfilled potential, while for Kay and the Yankees faithful, it offered a measure of vindication after weathering criticism from their crosstown rivals.
