DeGrom frustrated after Mets miss playoffs: '8 teams go and we didn't'

The New York Mets waved goodbye to their postseason chances with a 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon.

Ace right-hander Jacob deGrom, who started the contest, expressed his disappointment postgame after missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season - despite an expanded 2020 field featuring eight National League teams instead of five.

"Eight teams go and we didn’t make it," deGrom said, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "That’s pretty frustrating."

At 26-32 with two games remaining, the Mets appear poised to finish fourth in the NL East behind the similarly disappointing Philadelphia Phillies and the surprise Miami Marlins; the Marlins clinched their first postseason berth since 2003 on Friday night.

DeGrom did his part for the Mets' chances - a common refrain in Queens these days. He finishes his shortened campaign with a 4-2 record, 2.38 ERA, and a career-best 13.76 K/9 over 12 starts.

But the rotation behind deGrom was a shambles nearly from Day 1. Noah Syndergaard missed the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery and Marcus Stroman opted out of the campaign without throwing a pitch. Rick Porcello (1-6, 5.46 ERA), Michael Wacha (1-4, 6.62 ERA), and Steven Matz (0-5, 9.76 ERA) all struggled, and positive contributions from rookie David Peterson, the versatile Seth Lugo, and a rebounding Edwin Diaz couldn't right the ship.

Despite a strong personal showing in 2020, deGrom isn't confident about his chances of claiming a third consecutive NL Cy Young award after allowing three runs on five hits in his finale Saturday. He pointed to a couple of other right-handed hurlers who may be more deserving.

"I guess (Trevor) Bauer, Yu Darvish?" he said, according to DiComo. "I don't know. I would have liked to have been there in the talks, but I don't think today helped me."

The Mets weren't a total disaster, though. While the pitching staff struggled throughout the campaign, the offense kept them alive. Dom Smith, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Robinson Cano, Jeff McNeil, and Luis Guillorme all had quality seasons at the dish.

With team ownership expected to transfer to billionaire Steve Cohen following a recent sale, New York's front office and roster could both be in line for shake-ups this offseason.