New York, New York; the city so nice they named it twice! Let me ask you a hypothetical, If the Yankees and the Mets are 100% healthy and both made the World Series. Which New York baseball team would you choose to win it all?
Head to Head this Season
This MLB season in New York has been electric, no matter what side you are rooting for. Both teams have been dominate, and I mean DOMINATE! Both teams have been number 1 in their division all season long. Yankees have looked uncatchable, while the Mets have been fighting the Braves off of their heels.
It has been like a Hollywood movie script so far this season. Head to head these teams have played 4 games against each other. Two games in Queens and two more in the Bronx a month later. In all 4 games the home team won in a bullying fashion, giving both fan bases bragging rights for the moment.
The New York Yankees lead the American League in 7 categories at the plate and are in the top 3 in every pitching category except for complete games pitched. While the New York Mets are more of an old school win by any means team this season, not leading in any categories but are top 5 in most.
At the time of this article the Mets have the better overall record sitting at 81-46 with a 10.2% chance to win the World Series. While the Yankees are 78-48 with a 20.3% chance to win the World Series. (World Series chances provided by baseball-reference.com)
Since the Trade Deadline
At the deadline on August 2nd, both teams went different directions trying to strengthen their roster. The Yankees made a flurry of moves based around starting pitching, trading Jordan Montgomery away and adding JP Sears and Frankie Montas. Meanwhile in Queens the Mets decided to solidify their lineup by adding Daniel Vogelbach, Tyler Naquin, and Darin Ruf.
The Mets have been steady all season long, not too many slumps or low points. However the Yankees have been either the best, or one of the bottom teams, no in between. After the deadline they hit an old brick road full of potholes and debris. For the first 3 weeks of August the sky was falling in the Bronx. Starting pitchers started to be inconsistent and the bats simply stopped hitting. Do not be too concerned however, the injury bug has bitten a few of their best players in Gincarlo Stanton, Matt Carpenter, and Nestor Cortez. The bright side of this is it allowed Oswaldo Cabrera to get called up, and he has proven he belongs.
The Mets have a number of players playing their best baseball yet as a pro. Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Mark Canha have been out of this world this season both in the field and at the plate. Giving Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor the support they need, taking pressure off of their shoulders.
Pitching
Each New York baseball team has 5 superior starters, Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortez getting Cy Young recognition for the Yanks. Jameson Taillon has been right behind them as an anchor every 5 days. Domingo German has been ace like in his last two starts after battling injuries early in the season. The downfall of this team pitching wise has been finding a reliable closer. They have been going back and forth between Clay Holmes, Aroldis Chapman, and Wandy Peralta. Trying to figure out who is hot since all of them have been inconsistent.
As a whole the Yankees are pitching a 3.32 ERA while striking out 1,129 batters and walking only 337, to this point.
The Mets have two Cy Young candidates themselves in Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. The latter missed the first 4 months of the season and has returned just as dominate as ever. Tylor Megill and Carlos Carrasco were absolutely solid before getting injured. Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker have shown they are big time starters most of the season. The bullpen has been just as good, with Adam Ottavino and Seth Lugo shutting down almost every inning they pitch. The true star of the Queens this season though has been the closer, Edwin Díaz. Díaz, between his walk out song sweeping the nation and his pitching being un-hittable, has become a legit superstar in the 9th inning.
As a whole the Mets are pitching a 3.58 ERA while striking out 1,196 batters and walking 346, at the time of this article.
Hitting
While the Mets approach has been to hit singles, to simply hit the ball “where they ain’t”. Almost every batter on this lineup is having a career year, spraying singles and doubles around the shift at ease. Pete Alonso has lead the charge as the power bat and leader, hitting 25 walk off singles this season alone. Francisco Lindor has been a true leader batting 3rd and playing short stop, every single day, producing at high levels. This team hits for average and they keep the bases moving, putting up crooked number innings on a regular basis.
The Yankees are no stranger to putting up runs in a hurry either, however their approach is more based on power than balance. They have patient hitters who can do damage if given the right pitch. More times than not if you try to make them chase you will end up walking 2 or 3 batters and then giving up a multi-run home run. Gincarlo Stanton has had a bounce back season, yet all eyes are on the Judge. Aaron Judge is chasing history being on pace to beat Roger Maris 61 home run mark set back in 1961. As of right now he has 49 home runs with a little over 5 weeks left to hit at least 13 more.
Subway Series World Series: Which New York Baseball Team Would You Choose to Win it All?
It would be a treat for baseball fans in all aspects to get a Mets Yankees World Series. Imagine the pitching match-ups…
- Cole v Scherzer
- Cortez v deGrom
- Taillon v Bassitt
- German v Walker
At the plate being able to watch these lineups go to work, both beautiful in completely different ways. Finesse v Power. The Queens v The Bronx.
If they can get passed other powerhouses in the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, and as of late the Cardinals. Who all four of these teams have just as much as a shot to get there as the two New York teams. Boy oh boy a Subway Series World Series would be amazing. Which New York baseball team would you choose? My money would be on the Mets in 7.
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Rowan Donaghey is a Sports and Betting Insider for Fantom Sports Industries. Follow him on twitter for daily content via @RowanDonaghey
