Do you feel better about where the Mets are today or a year ago at this time?

Try to remove emotion and recency bias. Because, obviously, a year ago they were as positive a feel-good story as a team can have without actually winning a championship.

They made a terrific and surprising run to NLCS Game 6 before losing to the eventual champion Dodgers. Along the way, they had to face down historic demons in Atlanta and against Philadelphia. Mark Vientos had seemingly emerged as a young hitting star.

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The team was a month away from signing the largest contract in history to take Juan Soto from the Yankees. And all of the moves to build the 2024 roster — large and small — appeared to establish that in Steve Cohen, David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza, the Mets at last had the right owner, head of baseball operations and manager triumvirate to sustain success.