What Is 2016 New York Mets baseball team

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Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 2016 New York Mets finished the regular season with a 87-75 record, placing second in the National League East. They advanced to the NL Wild Card Game but lost to the San Francisco Giants 3-0.

Key Facts

87-75 regular season record
Second in NL East
Lost NL Wild Card Game 3-0 to Giants
Yoenis Céspedes led team with 31 home runs
Team ERA of 3.59 ranked 3rd in MLB

Overview

The 2016 New York Mets were a competitive Major League Baseball team that built on their 2015 National League pennant run. Despite high expectations, they narrowly missed the playoffs, finishing with an 87-75 record, just behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East.

The team was led by a strong pitching rotation and a midseason power surge from outfielder Yoenis Céspedes. However, injuries to key players like Noah Syndergaard and David Wright hampered consistency down the stretch.

87-75 record: The Mets posted a winning season, finishing just four games behind the division-winning Nationals. Their home record at Citi Field was 44-37, slightly better than their 43-38 road performance.
Second in NL East: The division was tightly contested, with the Nationals at 95-67 and the Mets trailing by eight games. The Miami Marlins finished third at 79-82, making the Mets the second-best team in the division.
Wild Card berth: Despite missing the division title, the Mets qualified for the NL Wild Card Game by securing the top Wild Card spot with the best record among non-division winners in the National League.
Yoenis Céspedes' power: After a slow start, Céspedes exploded in the second half, hitting 31 home runs and driving in 86 runs, becoming the team's offensive catalyst.
Team ERA of 3.59: The Mets' pitching staff ranked 3rd in MLB, anchored by Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard, who combined for a 3.18 ERA across 572 innings.

How It Works

The 2016 Mets' season structure followed the standard MLB format, with a 162-game schedule, playoffs for top teams, and a Wild Card Game to determine one of the postseason participants.

Regular Season: The MLB regular season spans from April to October. The 2016 Mets played 162 games, beginning April 3 against the Kansas City Royals and ending October 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Division Play: The Mets competed in the NL East, facing the Nationals, Marlins, Braves, and Phillies. They went 11-8 against Washington but struggled against Miami, going 7-11.
Wild Card Game: Introduced in 2012, the single-elimination Wild Card Game pits the two best non-division winners in each league. The Mets hosted the Giants on October 5, 2016.
Pitching Rotation: The Mets used a five-man rotation. Jacob deGrom led with 190 strikeouts in 190.1 innings, while Bartolo Colón, at age 42, posted a 15-8 record with a 3.43 ERA.
Injury Impact: David Wright played only 37 games due to shoulder and back issues, while Syndergaard missed two months with a lat strain, disrupting rotation stability.
Offseason Moves: The Mets re-signed Céspedes in February 2016 to an incentive-laden deal, betting on his health and performance to fuel a playoff push.

Comparison at a Glance

Here’s how the 2016 Mets compared to key NL East rivals and the eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs.

Team	Record	Division Finish	Postseason Result	ERA
New York Mets	87-75	2nd NL East	Lost Wild Card Game	3.59
Washington Nationals	95-67	1st NL East	Lost NLDS (3-2 to Dodgers)	3.51
Miami Marlins	79-82	3rd NL East	Did not qualify	4.30
Atlanta Braves	68-93	4th NL East	Did not qualify	4.55
Chicago Cubs	103-58	1st NL Central	Won World Series	3.15

The Mets’ 87 wins were solid but not enough to match the dominant Cubs or Nationals. Their strong pitching nearly carried them past the Giants in the Wild Card Game, but a 3-0 loss ended their season abruptly, highlighting the high stakes of the single-elimination format.

Why It Matters

The 2016 season was a pivotal moment in the Mets' recent history, showing both their potential and the fragility of sustained success in baseball.

Postseason near-miss: Losing the Wild Card Game underscored how close the Mets were to another deep playoff run, just one year after reaching the World Series in 2015.
Pitching depth tested: The team relied heavily on young starters; deGrom, Harvey, and Syndergaard each threw over 180 innings, but injuries raised concerns about long-term durability.
Céspedes' contract impact: His performance justified the short-term deal, but the Mets faced tough decisions in 2017 about re-signing him, ultimately choosing not to.
Wright's decline: David Wright’s limited play signaled the end of an era; he appeared in only 75 more games after 2016 due to persistent injuries.
Front office strategy: The season influenced future moves, with the Mets shifting toward cost-controlled young talent and away from high-priced free agents.
Fan engagement: Despite the playoff exit, Citi Field saw strong attendance, with over 2.5 million fans attending games, reflecting continued fan support after the 2015 run.

The 2016 New York Mets exemplified the volatility of baseball—capable of brilliance but vulnerable to injury and narrow margins. Their season remains a key chapter in the franchise’s modern narrative.