Mets clinch last place in NL East with MLB's second-highest payroll at $357 million

A 73-87 record — which can be 75-87 at best and 73-89 at worst with two games remaining — was not what the Mets, their fans and the media covering them expected from the second-highest player payroll in Major League Baseball.

The Mets carried a $357 million payroll for that last-place finish this season, according to FanGraphs . Presuming they finish with 73 wins, that's nearly $5 million per victory. Compare that to the Los Angeles Dodgers ' MLB-high $408 million and their 97 victories going into Friday night. They're paying $4.2 million per win.

Not since 2003 had the Mets finished last in the NL East. While they weren't nearly as successful as the team and its fans would have liked during the ensuing 23 years, they did advance to three NL Championship Series and play in one World Series. The Mets won 101 games in 2022.