For all the talk we’ve had about the New York Yankees being down bad since getting swept by Boston in mid-June, there’s been little talk about the crosstown rival New York Mets. Just how are the boys in orange and blue faring in Juan Soto’s first season with them?
Answer: Not much better than the Yankees. The two are separated by a single game. The Mets are 63-55, the Yankees 62-56. One team in second place and 5.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies, the other third in the AL East and 6.5 behind Toronto. Truly unprecedented times in the Big Apple!
Except there’s a difference, and not just that the Yankees have been a crap team for coming up on two months. The Mets haven’t just been bad lately, but BAD. So bad to the point where even WFAN has had it with both teams at once. You know things are bad when you’ve lost C-Mac and Willie Colon:
Look at it this way. Since the All-Star Break, the Yankees have shown minimal signs of life. They won two series against the Braves and Rays, even with Aaron Judge’s elbow injury. Then, getting swept by the Marlins turned into five straight losses and then some.
The Mets haven’t been much better. Not by a long shot. Their first month post-All-Star Break has been a brief ascent followed by a devastating collapse. The Mets lost their first two games back from the Break, then rattled off seven consecutive wins.
Since then? The Mets have gone an awful 1-11. After that seven-game streak? Four straight losses, a win, followed by seven more losses. Humiliating sweeps at the hands of the Padres, Guardians, and MLB-best Brewers.
It’s not getting easier for the Mets either. Their only respite for the remainder of August might be three games visiting the last-place Washington Nationals. The rest of the schedule features six total games versus the Braves, three hosting the Mariners, and then three each for the Marlins and Phillies. Not exactly running the gauntlet, but certainly running a gauntlet nonetheless.
The Yankees, on the other hand, could soon find themselves in a position to light the fire back under them. Their remaining schedule is softer than Anthony Volpe against fastballs. The Yankees’ remaining opponents this month are the Twins, Cardinals, Rays, Red Sox, Nationals, and White Sox. Boston is the only playoff team and, let’s be honest, they always overachieve from the Yanks’ underachieving.
But on the Mets’ end? There’s no over or underachieving about it. Looking at everything Steve Cohen and Dave Stearns have done from the end of last season through today? This seems par for the course.
Think about it. What should the Mets have done at the deadline? Traded for starting pitching even if it meant overpaying. The team needs innings-eaters beyond Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.
Instead? The Mets beefed up their bullpen. That’s not to say Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers are bad fits, they’re elite relievers even with Helsley’s struggles with his new team.
What’s the plan? Everyone crosses their fingers and hopes Clay Holmes doesn’t tire out from being a starter all season? Tylor Megill comes back all better from his bum elbow?
Herein lies what the Yankees and Mets really have in common, and why the Fall Classic isn’t coming back to New York in 2025. When push comes to shove, both teams have too many maybes when they’re starving for definitely.
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