Wagner: Mets won’t repeat 2007 collapse as they chase final NL wild-card

CHICAGO — Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner told The Post on Tuesday that he’s a believer the Mets won’t repeat their 2007 collapse, even as New York heads into the final week with a postseason spot on the line. "I know how difficult it is playing in New York, especially at this moment," Wagner said during a phone interview. The Mets entered the day tied with Cincinnati for the National League’s third and final wildcard berth, but the Reds owned the tiebreaker based on the season series.

The Mets had a five-game lead in the wild-card race on Labor Day weekend, but have sputtered down the stretch. In a larger sample size, the Mets were 35-52 since June 13 as play began.

Wagner, who pitched for the Mets during their late-2000s run, stressed that the club’s resilience and the ongoing process can help them navigate the pressure of a pennant race. He cautioned against drawing conclusions from a single week's results, noting that sustained improvement in pitching and defense tends to separate hopeful teams from pretenders.

He added that the current Mets can learn from history without being defined by it, and that the team must execute down the stretch, starting with strong pitching and timely offense. "You don’t want to look back and say you didn’t give it a chance," Wagner said.

With the final week looming, the Mets’ position in the NL wild-card race remains unsettled. The tiebreaker with Cincinnati means New York must either surpass the Reds in head-to-head matchups or hope for a favorable result in the season’s remaining games. The 2007 collapse remains a historical touchstone for fans and players alike, a benchmark against which the current club’s performance is measured in real time. The Mets have shown competitive spurts at various points this season, but the ultimate outcome will hinge on how they respond to the pressure in these last games.