PHILADELPHIA — If Luis Severino and his teammates perform well enough to carry the Mets into October, the veteran right-hander, who is in the midst of a stunning bounce-back season, wouldn't rule anything out.
“We have a good team, so if we get to the playoffs, it's going to be whoever is in the best shape, and we'll have a chance,” Severino said Friday.
To get inspired, he only needs to remember what happened a year ago when Arizona won 84 games and reached the World Series.
“If you look at our team, we could be a team like Arizona or Washington were last year. [in 2019, when the Nationals won the World Series as a wild card]When they did, they were a team that nobody expected to be in that position and it shocked everybody.”
According to Severino, the Mets could do something similar.
“If we get to the playoffs, God knows what's going to happen,” Severino said.
Given what's at stake, with the Mets looking to secure a playoff spot with just over two weeks left in the season, the prospect of taking on the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park may seem pressure-packed.
Severino, who has been through it all in his career, sees it differently.
“To me, it's all the same,” Severino said on the eve of another key start in the Mets' quest to reach the postseason. “Going forward, every game is important. I know they have a good lineup and a strong team, but I look at it the same way I did when we played Cincinnati at home. It's a game we have to win, so I have to give my team a chance.”
The Mets were just .500 (14-14) with Severino starting this season as of Saturday, but the right-hander has been especially good recently.
Severino has a 1.95 ERA since his shutout win on Aug. 17.
The right-hander has allowed one run or less in his last five appearances, except for one inning on Aug. 28 at Arizona, when he gave up four runs.
His late-season performance is even more impressive when you consider the 30-year-old pitcher's innings pitched: He had thrown 166 innings as of Saturday, his most since 2018, when he threw 191 innings with the Yankees.
As healthy as he is, Severino is equally optimistic about his team, which entered Friday with a one-game lead over Atlanta for the National League's final wild-card spot.
But the Mets have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the major leagues, starting with a series against NL East leaders Philadelphia, who they face off against at Citi Field next week, as well as series against the Brewers and Braves.
“We're in a good position,” Severino said. “We have a great opportunity now to go up against these good teams and prove what we can do.”
They've bounced back from being written off multiple times already this year, and Severino believes there's reason to be confident.
“When you get to the playoffs, anything is possible, so our mindset is just to win the series,” Severino said. “At the end of the day, if we get to the playoffs, that's the only thing that matters. There's no reason we can't do it.”
