The late 90’s Mets, despite featuring some talented teams led by Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, were defined by their inability to beat the Braves. Atlanta was in the middle of their streak of winning 14 straight division titles and had claimed the NL East every year since MLB split to three divisions and added the Wild Card beginning in 1995. The addition of the Wild Card proved fortuitous for the Mets, as it gave them an in to a postseason amid Atlanta’s ceaseless dominance.
The Mets entered 1999 looking to finish what they couldn’t in 1998, when they collapsed over their final five regular season games and finished one game out of a playoff spot.