Picture this. Forty-two thousand fans pack into Citi Field during a season like few others for a game that will be second to none. Let’s make it a 7:10 p.m. start for dramatic effect. The celebrations have been raucous in Queens all year, but this one’s already started and a pitch hasn’t been thrown yet. “Simple Man” is blaring over the sound system, but Lynard Skynard couldn’t get a louder ovation if they were playing it live. Jacob deGrom is on the mound.

For most of their lives, these fans in attendance have served as the defenders of a laughing stock, a New York Mets franchise that throws away seasons, pays retirees in their fifties and gets defrauded for billions. They hadda believe, right? Now, these fans represent the elite, one of the richest teams in baseball with a roster to match. In an oligarchical sport, they finally found the patron with the deepest pockets, and their team is one of a few privileged World Series contenders. Now, their hero is finally back on the field.

For a team that has had a phenomenal season with plenty of meaningful victories, it may seem unlikely that the mere presence of a player could evoke more hope or excitement than any single result. But those who can’t envision this scenario are merely unaware of the untethered hysteria surrounding deGrom, not just within the Mets organization and fanbase but across Major League Baseball.

As deGrom has worked his way back from an injury, his second since the summer of 2021, baseball fans have followed his progress meticulously. His rehab starts in the minor leagues resemble showcases, not warmups. After tickets sold out for deGrom’s scheduled game on July 14 for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, they were reportedly selling online for more than $300. The average price to attend a 2022 Miami Marlins game at the start of the season was $40.

It may not be his first game back for the team. The pitch count may be short and he may not go five innings. He might even get shelled, as he did on Wednesday afternoon in Triple-A against the Omaha Storm Chasers. But at some point soon, deGrom will make his homecoming start at Citi Field, and the response from the sold-out crowd will be thunderous. It’s important to understand why.

In his early days as a mortal with a 94 MPH fastball, deGrom was still one of the best pitchers in baseball and served as a key contributor in some very talented Mets rotations. He made the All-Star game in 2015, his second season in the league, and proved integral during the team’s run to the World Series later that year. His 13-strikeout game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his playoff debut set the tone as the Mets rolled through the National League before falling to the Kansas City Royals.

After a few more solid years on middling Mets teams, deGrom became a premier pitcher in the 2018 season. With an average fastball velocity of 96 MPH and a nearly unhittable slider, he began playing at a level few have ever reached, earning a mind-boggling 1.70 ERA. In 2019, he was throwing even harder without losing any of his frame-perfect control. While the Mets struggled at the plate and provided deGrom little to no run support in either season, he still managed to win the Cy Young Award in both years with a combined record of 21-17.

After two Cy Youngs and a successful shortened season during the pandemic, deGrom began earning comparisons to some of the greats — Pedro Martinez, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson. But by the summer of 2021, even the experts began to run out of comparisons.

Through 15 starts, deGrom had a 1.08 ERA and was consistently throwing his fastball 99 MPH. By June 11, 2021, Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan had thrown 10 pitches over 100 MPH, the second most for a starting pitcher that season. DeGrom was first — with 121 pitches. As SNY pointed out, his ERA+ at that point in the season was so astronomically high that it defied explanation.

Those who worried that it was unsustainable were right, as deGrom suffered minor arm strain in April and a major injury in July that ended his season. After two starts in spring training this year, he suffered yet another arm injury that has kept him out of a Mets uniform since.

While he has been away, the Mets have gone from pretenders to contenders, as new owner Steve Cohen continues to import talent. As of Wednesday afternoon, the team has a 60-37 record and is doing everything it can to hold off the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Max Scherzer has been one of the best substitute aces in the history of baseball and new faces like Starling Marte and Mark Canha have bolstered the old guard.

The trade deadline may bring in even more talent as the Mets attempt to make their first postseason push since 2015. Regardless of who they bring in though, no single piece will be more important than deGrom. If the team is going to win the World Series, “Simple Man” will need to be coming out of those speakers.

Barring any further setbacks, deGrom will make his return to Citi Field sometime soon, and baseball fans need to be ready for what could be the defining moment of the season. One of the most dominant pitchers in the history of the sport is about to join a team on the brink of a championship, and three months of his usual production may make the difference.

Chris Christie was heavily booed and heckled by fans at Citi Field on Tuesday night after catching a foul ball during the New York Mets‘ 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Chris Christie Mets Catch

The 54-year-old New Jersey governor — who was sitting behind the Mets dugout — used his left hand to snag a foul hit from Cardinals rookie Paul DeJong in the top of the third inning, and didn’t even need to leave his seat to make the catch. Christie played catcher for his high school team in the 1980s.

However, the Republican governor and former 2016 presidential candidate received several high-fives and eventually gave the ball to a young child.

Even the announcers couldn’t help but poke fun at Christie, who has recently made headlines for several different reasons.

“Nice to see him get from the beach here to the ballpark,” Fox Sports’ Dan McLaughlin said as his co-commentator laughed.

McLaughlin was referring to a recent controversy Christie found himself in: the governor and his family were photographed relaxing at Island Beach State Park over the July 4 holiday weekend, the same weekend Christie shut down access to the beach for the rest of the public.

Baseball fans also quickly jumped on Twitter to make jokes about another of the governor’s scandals: Christie’s aides’ intentional closing of several lanes of the George Washington Bridge in September 2013. This incident created severe traffic jams in the Fort Lee area of New Jersey and resulted in investigations and indictments of several members of Christie’s staff. Christie and his aides allegedly shut down the lanes as a way to retaliate against Fort Lee’s Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich and other who did not support Christie’s re-election bid for governor.

Christie cites the so-called “Bridge-gate” controversy as one of the primary reasons for which he lost the 2016 Republican nomination for President. The governor eventually supported the nominee, President Donald Trump after dropping out of the race.

Christie also recently revealed he hopes to pursue a career as a sports radio host, and has emerged as one of the top candidates to replace longtime WFAN radio host Mike Francesca. The Republican’s second term as governor of New Jersey ends in January.

The Mets (41-50, 4th in National League East) next host the Cardinals again on Wednesday at 7:08pm for the second game of a three-game series.

The New York Rangers will face the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 Winter Classic at Citi Field, the NHL announced Tuesday.

Rangers to face Sabres in 2018 NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field

The game will be held at the Mets’ home stadium in Flushing, Queens on Jan. 1. Commissioner Garry Bettman revealed the outdoor game would be played on New Year’s Day on television Tuesday night during an intermission of the Rangers’ 4-2 Game 6 playoff loss to the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden, a defeat that eliminated the Rangers from Stanley Cup contention.

“The Winter Classic made its debut under snowy Buffalo skies in 2008, and we look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of that landmark event by matching the Sabres with their intrastate rivals, the New York Rangers, in the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field,” Bettman said in a press release.

The 2018 Winter Classic will count as a home game for the Sabres due to rules dictating the Rangers play all home contests at Madison Square Garden.

The 2018 edition of the game will mark the second time the Sabres and Rangers have each participated in the NHL’s premier midseason event.

Buffalo hosted the first-ever 2008 Winter Classic, during which the Sabres fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 2-1 shootout at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The Rangers visited the Philadelphia Flyers at the Phillies’ home, Citizens Bank Park, for the 2012 showcase game, and also participated in Stadium Series contests against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders at Yankee Stadium in 2014.

The Senators advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2007 with their 4-2 series and Game 6 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night. Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone put Ottawa up 2-0 with goals at 4:27 and 14:44 of the first period, and then led 3-1 in the second thanks to Erik Karlsson, who scored after Mika Zibanejad netted New York’s first goal at 13:32 of the period.

Chris Kreider scored the Rangers’ second goal 53 seconds into the third period to bring the hosts within one, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau secured the Senators’ victory by shooting into an empty net with seven seconds remaining.

Craig Anderson made 37 saves for Ottawa, while Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 shots for New York, which was 0-for-4 on the power play.

“I think we played well enough to win a lot of games here,” said Lundqvist, who had won ten of the last 11 home games when the Rangers were on the brink of elimination. “We talked about it during the season that sometimes it is not about playing your best game, it is about finding a way to win games. They did that better than we did.”

One of the best goals of the game was Karlsson, who took a backhand feed from Bobby Ryan and shot past Lundqvist from the left circle at 15:53 of the second period.

“It was big for momentum, the stadium erupted when they scored and I knew they would make another push after they scored,” Anderson said. “I think we took the wind right out of their sail with that great play between Bobby and [Karlsson]”

Anderson made a big save when he blocked a shot from Kreider on a 2-on-1 with Zibanejad by sliding across the goal to stop Kreider’s rebound with his pad at 5:08 of the third period to protect a 3-2 Senators lead.

Ottawa forward Viktor Stalberg left 5:59 into the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Senators’ next opponent and date for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final has yet to be determined. Ottawa beat the Buffalo Sabres in five games when it last played in the conference final in 2007.

Given the shaky state of their starting rotation, the New York Mets seemed bound to face trouble before the start of their four-game series against the Phillies this weekend.

Mets Rout Phillies 17-0, Take NL Wild Card Lead

Sunday’s game strongly suggested otherwise, nevertheless, as the Mets thrashed Philadelphia 17-0 at Citi Field for their most lopsided shutout victory in franchise history.

Just as he was on Thursday in the opener of the series against the Phillies, Asdrubal Cabrera proved to be one of the major players, hitting a grand slam in the seventh inning to score Rene Rivera, Brandon Nimmo and Jose Reyes and give New York an 11-0 lead.

With the win, the Mets moved one game ahead of the Giants for the lead National League Wild Card spot. The Cardinals, who fell 3-1 to the Cubs on Sunday night, are a half-game behind San Francisco.

“We needed one of those,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “Our bullpen was shot. So it was nice to be able to have comfortable innings at the end of the game.”

Rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman helped save the Mets with a season-high eight strikeouts, in what was easily the best start of his young career. The 23-year-old also singled on a bund down the first-base line in the third for his first Major League hit. Gsellman is currently nursing a left shoulder injury that prevents him from swinging. Over seven scoreless innings, the rookie gave up just three hits and two walks to earn his third win.

“I’m pretty comfortable,” Gsellman said. “I’m getting more confident and just keeping it rolling.”

Curtis Granderson hit his 30th homer off Phillies starter Jake Thompson, who allowed three runs in four innings. The Mets then began the blowout when Cabrera smacked his third career grand slam off Colton Murray. Cabrera’s performance is especially impressive given that he has suffered from a chronically sore left knee and a welt on his right leg during much of this home-stand.

Philadelphia pitchers walked nine batters in total and hit four more. The Phillies’ bullpen had a 14.29 ERA (27 earned runs in 17 innings) in the series against the Mets.

“Pretty embarrassing game today,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Before Sunday’s game, the Mets and Phillies both lined up in front of their respective dugouts to honor late Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died early Sunday in a tragic boating accident. Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespdes taped a Fernandez jersey to the wall of the home dugout, as members of both teams payed their respects.

The NL wild-card game will be held on Oct. 5 at the home stadium of the wild-card team with the better record.

Helped by a day off Thursday, the Mets plan to use their top and healthiest starters– Bartolo Colon and Noah Syndergaard–twice. But if the Mets manage to claim a playoff berth before the final weekend, they could simply adjust their pitching schedule to prepare Syndergaard for a wild-card game start.

“I have great confidence in what’s going on,” Collins said.

The 17-0 final was the most lopsided shutout victory in Mets franchise history, one run shy of their most lopsided win ever (19-1 over the Cubs on May 26, 1964).  The loss was Philadelphia’s largest margin of defeat since a 22-3 loss to the Reds on Sept. 4, 1999 at Veterans Stadium.

The Phillies are off on Monday, but they open their last road series of the season Tuesday night against the Braves at Turner Field. Righty Jerad Eickhoff (11-14, 3.75 ERA) will make his penultimate start of the season.

The Mets, (83-73, 2nd in NL East) meanwhile, next travel to Miami for a three-game series against the Marlins that begins on Monday night. Bartolo Colon will take the mound against the Marlins, (77-78, 3rd in NL East) who will be mourning the loss of Fernandez. Miami’s team canceled their scheduled Sunday game against the Braves, hours after Fernandez’s passing.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 25: Robert Gsellman #65 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on September 25, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Up until the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday night, the New York Mets, who trailed the Atlanta Braves 4-3, still believed they still had a chance to tie up the game and perhaps even win at home.

Inciarte Denies Yoenis Cespedes Walk-Off HR In Braves’ 4-3 Win Over Mets

Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte thought otherwise, however. Yoenis Cespedes ripped an 0-1 fastball to right-center field, and Inciarte gave chase, reaching the wall just a few feet away from the 380 marker. He leaped and caught the ball from beyond the fence to rob Cespedes of a walk-off homer and secure the game-ending out to lead the Braves to a thrilling victory over the Mets at Citi Field.

With the win, Atlanta capped a three-game sweep of the Mets.

“This is probably the best catch I’ve ever made,” Inciarte said. “I thought the ball was gone off the bat, but it was the last play of the game, so I just went for it. I was really pumped up. I caught the ball, and I knew I had it. But the fans were waiting until I took it out of the glove.”

The 25-year-old Venezuelan’s catch gave Braves fans a reason to celebrate. It gave Atlanta its sixth consecutive win at Citi Field and its fifth straight overall. The Mets, meanwhile, have now lost an opportunity to pass the Cardinals and Giants in the National League Wild Card race. The Mets remained tied with St. Louis and San Francisco, both of whom lost on Wednesday.

According to Statcast, Cespedes’ drive had an exit velocity of 101.7 mph and a launch angle of 28 degrees.

After taking a 3-0 lead on Asdrubal Cabrera’s two-run homer in the first inning and Rene Rivera’s solo shot in the fifth, New York looked as if they race to victory from there. However, an Anthony Recker two-run shot in the seventh brought Atlanta back within a run of the lead, before a Dansby Swanson single chased Mets starter Bartolo Colon from the game.

Mets manager Terry Collins made several unusual bullpen decisions at that point, bringing right-hander Addison Reed into the game in the seventh, lefty specialist Josh Smoker in the eighth and closer Jeurys Familia in the final inning, as the game nearly became decided. All of these decisions backfired when Matt Kemp tied it up with a sacrifice fly off Familia. One inning later, Inciarte smacked a go-ahead RBI groundout.

Inciarte’s game-ending catch that denied Cespedes of a walk-off homer seemed to shock everyone.

“We all thought it was out,” Rivera said. “It’s a shame that he made that great play. Good for them, bad for us.”

Among outfield catches this season in which the ball had a hang time of less than 5.5 seconds and launch angle of under 28 degrees, Inciarte’s distance covered of 104 feet ranks seventh.

No.1 on that list is Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton, who ran 123 feet to rob Carlos Beltran under similar circumstances on Aug. 23. The main difference, however, is that Hamilton didn’t have to make his catch against a wall.

Braves manager Brian Snitker praised his team following the win.

“They performed just like they have been,” Snitker said. “It’s a cliché, but they just don’t quit.”

Cabrera’s home run was his 21st this season (20 of those are as a shortstop)– good for sole possession of the franchise record he briefly shared with Jose Reyes. Alex Rodriguez currently holds the MLB record with 57 homers as a shortstop in 2002, one of six seasons in which he hit more than 40 while playing that position.

The Braves next travel to Miami, where they’ll play their final four road games of the season. Right-hander Josh Collmenter (2-0, 4.61 ERA) will start Thursday night’s series opener at Marlins Park.

The Mets, meanwhile, will host the Phillies for a four-game series that begins Thursday. Righty Seth Lugo (4-2, 2.35 ERA) will take the mound, facing lefty Adam Morgan (2-10, 5.57 ERA) in the opener.

PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 25: Ender Inciarte #11 of the Atlanta Braves makes a sliding catch during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 25, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Atlanta Braves won 3-1. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)

When Jose Reyes strolled to the plate for his first at-bat since returning to the New York Mets Tuesday, that familiar sound was there to greet him.

OPINION: Mets Fans Can’t Expect Jose Reyes Of Old

For 11 years, fans in Queens cheered Reyes loudly at his plate appearances, often chanting his name in triplicate.
It was that same sound he heard ringing through the stands at Citi Field Tuesday, an ovation fit for a conquering hero.

But this is not the same player Mets fans fell in love with 15 years ago.

REYES RETURNS HOME

This version  is 33 years old, desperate to recapture the glory he lost with age, injury and relocation, desperate to redeem himself after being suspended 52 games for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy.

New York’s fans are equally desperate to find the player they once knew within this older, higher-mileage and excess baggage edition.

Newsflash Mets fans, you will never find what you’re looking for.

This is not the same guy who hit 17 triples in back-to-back seasons, or 19 in 2008. Nor is it the player who stole 60, 64 and 78 bases in a three-year stretch. And it’s far from the player whom bunted his way to a .337 average and a batting title in 2011.

This Jose Bernabe Reyes is a grizzled veteran looking to fill a role, not a star set to carry a team.

Reyes is striving to become a Carlos Beltran replica: well-beyond his prime, but proves his worth year-in, year-out by producing.

There is no better place for him to start over than where it all began.

JOSE REYES: FIRST TIME AROUND

But this incarnation of the Dominican-born infielder, who the Mets signed two months and five days after his 16th birthday back in 1999, will be watered down to say the least.

Three times he finished with a batting average over .300 while in New York, but he hasn’t reached that benchmark since leaving the team in 2012.

His strikeouts are up and his power is down. His on base percentage, which used to consistently hover around .350, has plummeted toward .300.

Reyes’ best season since departing Queens came in 2013 for Toronto. He batted .296, with a .353 on-base, 10 homers, 37 RBI and 47 strikeouts. That was three years ago, when Reyes was the Blue Jays star shortstop.

Now, he returns to replace the player who helped him rebuild a fledgling franchise.

With David Wright out indefinitely due to back surgery, Reyes returns as a mercenary, hired to plug the hole left vacant by his former running mate.

Which means we won’t see Reyes diving into the hole between short and third to backhand a sharp ground ball, before uncoiling his hose to get the runner at first.

The left side will more closely resemble two Asdrubal Cabrera’s: sure-handed fielders whose range is limited, can hit, but won’t win a batting title and have power but won’t be clubbing 20 and driving in 100.

It’s not the superstar we once knew. The one who could change the outcome of a game in his first at-bat.

MIKE FRANCESA MISSES MARK

It will be bad before it gets good and it will never again be great.

Reyes barely swung a bat during his suspension and his lack of a preseason has shown. He went 0-for-4 in his Mets debut do-over and he was 6-for-34 with Brooklyn and Binghamton before being called up to the Bigs.

The machine won’t be running full-tilt until August most likely, and even then, parts are bound to breakdown.

Reyes had injury issues in his mid-20s, what do you expect from his body in his early-to-mid-30s?

At least two trips to the disabled list for soft-tissue injuries can be anticipated.

Sorry to burst your bubble Mets fans, but this is a different player from the one you once knew. He is not a savior for the franchise, he is no longer a superstar and his image has been forever re-framed.

But here’s the best part, he doesn’t need to be what he once was.

The Mets don’t need a superstar to win the World Series, they need another Asdrubal Cabrera: solid defense and timely hitting with a little pop.

Sure, we will see a few “Reyes runs” hung on the scoreboard, but he doesn’t need to steal 30 bases in the second half to be productive.

If he plays his role, Metropolitans fans will have plenty of reason to say, “Jose, Jose, Jose.”

Neymar may be one of the best soccer players in the world, but unfortunately, his baseball skills are not nearly as impressive.

Neymar’s Baseball Swing Doesn’t Nearly Match His Soccer Skills

The 24-year-old Brazilian superstar and Barcelona forward was seen trying his hand at swinging a bat in the batting cage at Citi Field in New York on Tuesday ahead of the game between the Mets and the Chicago White Sox. Neymar’s swing proved to be rather mediocre, as the following video tweeted out by the Mets shows:

To begin with, his stance alone looked like it could use some work. It seemed a bit strange that he was batting lefty, given that he signs autographs right-handed. The young Brazilian practiced while donning a customized Mets jersey with “Neymar 10” on the back. 

Neymar is paid millions of dollars each year to play a sport that requires no hands, so perhaps that explains it. What the Barcelona striker did manage to pull off rather well was juggle a baseball with his foot, also before the game:

So it’s highly unlikely that Neymar could ever potentially have a career in Major League Baseball, but it’s ok because he’s still highly skilled at his own sport. Although he won’t be participating in this year’s Copa America, which is hosted by the US and begins on Friday, Neymar is still clearly enjoying a trip stateside. MLB also shared this set of pictures of him receiving hitting lessons from the Mets themselves.

The White Sox defeated the Mets 6-4 on Tuesday night. The Mets won the previous night’s game against Chicago, however, 1-0, which was also held at Citi Field.

PHOTO: NEW YORK, NY – MAY 31: Brazilian soccer player Neymar Jr stands in the New York Mets dugout before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field on May 31, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer played catch with an 11-year-old New York Mets fan in the stands before the team’s game Wednesday at Citi Field.

Nationals Pitcher Max Scherzer Plays Catch With Young Mets Fan

The boy’s father, Joe La Rocca took a video of the moment and shared it on Twitter.

“How was that?” the boy’s father asked.

“Amazing! I’m not giving this ball away, there’s no way,” the youngster answered.

It was certainly a great gesture from Scherzer, especially after having lost the previous night’s game 2-0 against the Mets at Citi Field. It’s not everyday that a major league pitcher actually takes the time to play around with a fan, especially a fan of a team that his not his own. The Nationals then beat the Mets 7-1 on Wednesday and 9-1 on Thursday.

Scherzer recently broke the MLB record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game.

PHOTO: WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 11: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Nationals Park on May 11, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)