Mets take momentum - on and off field - into Subway Series with Yankees
Many managers have expressed their displeasure with interleague play, particularly the new version, now in its second season, spread throughout the baseball schedule.
But the timing for New York's first Subway Series couldn't be more impeccable.
The Mets and New York Yankees begin the first of two interleague series this season Friday night at Yankee Stadium to start a three-game series. They play three more at Citi Field from Sept. 18-20, a time at which we will know whether either is a contender.
Right now, both are trending up.
At 13-3, the Mets have the best record in baseball, are unbeaten at home and carry an 11-game winning streak into tonight's opener.
The Yankees, as expected, are in the midst of an AL East scrum, tied atop the division with two others at 9-7, but riding a stirring three-game winning streak forged against the Detroit Tigers.
But who has the best shot at winning in the big picture?
For the first time since the late 1980s, it might be the Mets.
Though both teams are flawed, the Mets may have more positive check marks.
The Mets are a team with young pitching and an upside that might be close enough to grasp this season.
The Yankees are a team of disgraced Alex Rodriguez, aging CC Sabathia and underperforming Carlos Beltran. They're a team that used to have Derek Jeter but now has a shortstop in Didi Gregorius who has never proved himself in the big leagues.
The Yankees are a team of mystery for all the wrong reasons. Their lingering question: How bad could they be if everything goes wrong?
"I think we have something to prove in staying healthy," says left-hander Sabathia, limited to eight starts by a knee injury last season. "I think on the mound, you can see what the guys can do if we're out there. We've got to prove that we can stay out there."
The Mets rotation, on the other hand, is headlined by a pair of 26-year-olds, hard-throwing Matt Harvey and reigning National League rookie of the year Jacob deGrom. They have a young Gold Glove center fielder in Juan Lagares and a young, power-hitting first baseman in Lucas Duda. They also surprised many in baseball by spending $21 million for veteran Michael Cuddyer — the 2013 NL batting champ — in the offseason.
The Mets are a team of mystery for all the right reasons. Their lingering question: How good could they be if everything goes right?
"The expectations are high, and that is what it is, but we still have to go out there and prove we can win games," deGrom says.
'I don't see it'
Sabathia pushed the envelope a bit on the rivals when asked by the New York Daily News whether the Mets have a chance to seize the New York spotlight from its longtime incumbents.
"I'm not going to sit here and start a war of words back and forth with the Mets, but I don't see it," Sabathia said. "That's all I got to say. I don't see it happening. They've got some good young players, but … yeah, they have some good young players."
Right now, the Mets have two potential aces at the top of their rotation; the Yankees have two veterans they hope can overcome last season's injuries and give the team high-quality innings in Sabathia and Tanaka.
Harvey is in midseason form, striking out 24 in 18 innings over his first three starts, all wins, while walking one. Bartolo Colon, the Mets' 41-year-old opening-day starter, has begun the season 4-0 with a 2.77 ERA.
"New York, as you well know, is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately town," Wright says. "Lately, the Yankees have done a lot more than the New York Mets have. Our goal is to not necessarily change that. Our goal is to win. We win, and the buzz and the fans and the electricity will take care of itself. That ultimately correlates with us winning."
Harvey grew up a Yankees fan, but to hear him tell it, he isn't thinking very much about the opponent, pinstripes or no pinstripes. But for now, anyway, crowds are coming to this rivalry to see more than just the team that has won all those championships.
The Mets are hoping their other young pitchers — deGrom and those who are injured (Zack Wheeler) or still in the minors (Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz) will follow suit. It is no guarantee. But it is an opening.
"I didn't even notice," Harvey said when asked if he felt a different energy in the ballpark when the Yankees came to town in spring training. "Today, I knew I had to get work done. I knew there were going to be a lot of people here, which was exciting. And I really didn't think too much about who we were playing. It was a fun Sunday afternoon."
This weekend should provide some more fun and perhaps clarity as to where the rivalry is headed.
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