In an alternate reality, the Mets would have fallen beyond hope from playoff contention before the All-Star break, prompting a pivot toward the evaluation phase of the season.

But it raises the question: What exactly would the Mets be evaluating?

The ideal scenario for team brass was always going to be the possibility that players such as Luisangel Acuña, Drew Gilbert, Jett Williams, Mike Vasil and Dom Hamel would be ready to step in this season and audition for 2025.

But a combination of injuries and underperformance has created almost a lost season for the Mets, in a sense, from a development standpoint. It could create an interesting dynamic in the offseason with the veteran players the Mets acquired last winter to bridge the gap still needed for next year.