Mets Fans Embrace Grimace As Their New God As Team Is Undefeated Since He Threw Out 1st Pitch

A couple of weeks ago, the New York Mets season was dead and buried. And while the Metropolitans may still be buried six feet under, they’ve begun to show signs of life.

After getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in late May and early June, the Mets began to turn a bit of a corner as they have won 9 of their last 11 games.

More interestingly, however, is that amidst that 9-2 stretch, the Mets have also put together a five-game winning streak, which began when the McDonald’s character Grimace threw out the ceremonial first pitch against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, June 12.

Given Grimace’s perceived impact and the need of Mets fans (of which I am one) to turn anything they can into some fun since the actual baseball team rarely conjures such emotions, the fanbase has essentially accepted Grimace as their new king.

“Steve, this is Grimace. Hes a fast food mascot. Hes one of the most undervalued brands at McDonalds. His defect is that he doesnt play baseball. Nobody in the big leagues cares about him because he looks funny. This guy could not just be good luck but could start a winning streak,” said one viral tweet which riffed on the iconic scene from Moneyball in which Jonah Hill tells Brad Pitt about a certain overlooked player.

“He saved The Mets’ season is what he did. He was a brave McDonaldLand explorer. And in this house, Grimace is a hero, end of story!” joked another popular tweet that used the Tony Soprano meme format.

The Mets will look to continue their hot streak tonight when they head down to Texas for a three-game series with the Rangers. They’re then off to Chicago for another three games before hosting the New York Yankees for a pair of Subway Series battles on June 25 and June 26.

This is actually the second year in a row that Grimace has made summer headlines and the character’s purple milkshake promotion also went viral last June.

Realistically, though, what’s likely turned around the Mets season is the return of catcher Francisco Alvarez from the injured list, as the team in 16-6 when he plays and 17-31 when he doesn’t so far this season.