In late April of 2015, after the New York Mets had returned to Earth following a franchise-tying 11-game win streak, I listened with restraint to ESPN Radio’s Rick DiPietro, former Islanders goaltender and lifelong Mets fan, present realistic expectations for New York’s “second” baseball team. “Meaningful games in mid-September,” DiPietro proffered. “I’ll take it,” I thought to myself.

Fast forward to July 31, 3:00 p.m. Two days prior, a fiasco broke out when Wilmer Flores teared up on the diamond after hearing rumors from fans that he was on his way to Milwaukee along with injured starting pitcher Zack Wheeler for center-fielder Carlos Gomez. The hope, that Gomez would help to resurrect a moribund Mets offense that ranked last in MLB in nearly every offensive category, was quashed when General Manager Sandy Alderson backed out of the deal. Closer Jeurys Familia, the near-invincible thoroughbred that kept the Mets within striking distance of the the division-leading Washington Nationals, had just blown his third save in five chances coming off the All-Star break. On top of that, the Mets opted out of a deal that would have brought Cincinnati Reds slugger Jay Bruce to Queens for Wheeler. Only an hour remained until the trade deadline would close, and the Mets were facing a three game series against the divisional foes from the U.S. Capitol. The next 72 hours would transform the 2015 narrative of the Mets.

The four o’clock hour brought genuine, but reserved hope. The Mets had finally made a splash, acquiring five-tool stud Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers for only two minor-league prospects. When I returned home later that evening from an Internet-less event, my living room was in hysteria. Almost a Milwaukee Brewer just days before, Wilmer Flores sent a 12th inning pitch into the left-field bleachers, instantaneously securing his status as cult hero. A few texts from my “Mets Fans” group chat that night read: “AHHHHHH,” “WE’RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES,” and “BILLY FLOWERS.” The following day, Lucas Duda drove in all three Mets runs, two of them via the long ball, as Jeurys Familia dominated the 9th inning to cut the Nationals’ division lead to one game. Duda’s hot streak of nine home runs in eight games culminated on Sunday Night Baseball as the country witnessed the Mets earn a tie of the division lead. This series would prove to be the launching pad that propelled the New York Metropolitans into euphoria.

The Mets finished the final two months of the regular season on a torrid pace, boasting the best offense in the majors and one of the best records. They entered the postseason as the National League team with the worst odds to win the pennant. Once again, they found a way to exceed expectations. In defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets ousted arguably the two best National League pitchers in Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw in a competitive five-game series. The Mets young quartet of starting pitchers were too much for the precocious Chicago Cubs sluggers. The Mets bats, most notably Daniel Murphy, woke up as well, dismantling another Cy Young favorite in Jake Arrieta along the way. However, the World Series told a different tale. The Kansas City Royals capitalized on every mistake the Mets made, put the ball in play consistently, and made aggressive plays on the base paths to earn the World Series trophy. While Mets fans would have been thrilled with a World Series trip if told so in April, July, or even September, we are left with a bitter taste in our mouths. Three of the four Mets losses were decided in gut-wrenching fashion; the Mets took leads into the eighth inning in all of those games. Timely hitting by the Royals and poor defense ultimately cost the Mets the series.

The Mets organization and fans have to be thrilled with how this campaign panned out, despite the heart-breaking World Series defeat. What was the most rewarding aspect of this season for me was the sense of commitment displayed by the Mets players and management. Since 2008, frustration was mounting within the fan base with the departure of José Reyes after the 2011 season, the Bernie Madoff scandal that will cost the owners of the club ultimately $60 million, and the general reluctance to dole out the big bucks to free agents, especially in the market of New York. Starting with the call-up of rookie Michael Conforto in late July, followed by the acquisitions of Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, Tyler Clippard, and Cespedes, the Mets displayed that, even playing .500 ball, they were committed to putting together a team that could win in 2015. They gave up many promising prospects – especially one name to look out for in a few years in Michael Fulmer – but gave the fan base reason to come to games and believe in this team. On the field, Flores conveyed that same message: the genuine desire to stay with the franchise, even when they were floundering in the doldrums. Furthermore, it was rumored that Zack Wheeler personally called General Manager Sandy Alderson and requested to stay put in New York because he simply wanted to be a Met. After so many consecutive seasons of meaningless baseball, the fan base – and, one could argue, the players and front office – needed to know that this team was committed to bring the city of New York a World Series trophy as soon as possible. Most fans did not think we would come this close to accomplishing that in such a brief amount of time.

Going forward, there are some glaring weaknesses that the Mets need to address, many of them exposed by the Royals in the World Series. First and foremost, the bullpen needs some retooling with the likely departures of Tyler Clippard and Bartolo Colon. One potential name to fill the set-up role would be Kansas City’s own Ryan Madson, a flamethrower who played his part in bringing a championship back to KC. Addison Reed should be retained, and the Mets would be wise to bring back lefty specialist Jerry Blevins, despite his injury-plagued 2015 campaign. At the plate, there will be gaps to fill with Murphy and Cespedes likely walking to more lucrative contracts. Many within the Mets front office anticipate Michael Conforto filling Murphy’s role in the 3-hole, but it would be foolish to rely solely on a 23-year old to fulfill the roles of two veteran hitters. A lefty-hitting centerfielder to compliment Juan Lagares seems to be high on the agenda, with Colby Rasmus emerging as a potential target. Rumors of trades with the Red Sox for either Mookie Betts or Jackie Bradley Jr. have been circulating, but the Mets have made it clear that they have no intention to deal any of its uber-talented starting pitchers. The middle infield of Ruben Tejada, Flores, and Dilson Herrera should be solid on both sides of the ball, but the Mets could use veteran leadership and insurance to support injury-prone David Wright at third base. To fulfill this need, the Mets could look to re-sign Kelly Johnson, or it could delve into the free agent pool and potentially make a move for Ben Zobrist. Whatever the Mets choose to do, and I do trust Sandy Alderson, the team needs to be acting in “win-now” mode. With this starting pitching, the Mets need to sacrifice the future and be willing to invest money in the right places to put together a bullpen and lineup that could compete for a World Series once again in 2016. I have been trained by my past experiences as a Mets fan to be pessimistic, and this current situation reminds me greatly of one that the Oklahoma City Thunder found itself in back in 2010 with a trio of young budding stars. Five years later, they have failed to win a championship and Kevin Durant awaits free agency in the summer of 2016. To avoid this fate, the Mets need to be willing to make moves to put this team in a position to win the World Series every year. The Mets – or any team, for that matter – might never come across a unit of unbelievably talented starting pitchers like this again. The Mets must capitalize.

But, above all of this speculation, a big “thank you” is in order to those involved with this 2015 Mets team. As a young fan, it was the best fan-related rollercoaster of a season that I’ve experienced. For that, thank you. You have brought hope and joy to a fanbase previously enthralled by despair.