The most expensive team, the Mets, shockingly got eliminated; the Cincinnati Reds surprisingly secured the National League’s final wild card spot.

The final National League wild card spot has been confirmed, with the big-spending New York Mets eliminated after a 4-0 shutout loss to the Miami Marlins, who played spoiler. Their rival, the Reds, also fell to the Milwaukee Brewers, leaving both teams tied at 83-79. The Reds’ superior regular-season head-to-head record earned them the last playoff ticket in the National League.

Mets owner Steve Cohen invested $340 million in team salaries, aiming this season naturally for the World Series. However, not only did they fall behind the division rival Philadelphia Phillies, but they also lost the wild card race to the Cubs and Reds from the Central Division, as well as the San Diego Padres from the West, with U.S. media calling it a historic collapse.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said, “The goal for this team was not just to reach the playoffs but to get through multiple rounds. We are now very angry, sad, and frustrated. We have many talented players, but the performance has been inconsistent and hard to blame on any single factor.” The Mets, who led the National East Division for 83 days, finished the second half with only 38 wins and 55 losses.

The Mets signed Juan Soto to the largest contract in history worth $765 million. Despite Soto’s outstanding individual performance, baseball is not a one-man game; otherwise, Shohei Ohtani would have already saved the Angels. Soto said, “We have everything we need; the only thing we must change is finding ways to win more games.”

Losing on the final day of the regular season is naturally unpleasant. Except for the Reds today, who celebrated wildly even after losing to the Brewers, going so far as to hold a party in the Brewers’ clubhouse. The Brewers also showed sportsmanship, congratulating the Reds on the big screen at their home stadium after the game. Reds players shouted “Thank you!” The Reds will face the defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the first round of the playoffs, with the winner advancing to challenge the Phillies.