A Season To Be Remembered

     This is going to be a season to remember for New York baseball. For the first time since 2008, both the Yankees and Mets are going to be competitive in the same season. The Mets had a good run during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, which resulted in a trip to the World Series, but ultimately losing to the Kansas City Royals. The Mets have had a little more postseason success than the Yankees in recent years, since the Yankees have made it to the American League Championship Series against the Astros in 2017 and 2019, but fell short of going to the World Series both times. Neither team has been able to seal the deal and bring a title back to New York since the Yankees did it in 2009, but that may change very soon. Both teams look like they are going to be contenders for years to come and are bound to win at least one World Series. 

New Faces in Queens

     The Mets are going to be one of the most polarizing teams in the league this year. The change in ownership to bring in hedge fund manager, Steve Cohen, has led to a large number of transactions the team made over the offseason, headlined by the acquisition of star shortstop, Francisco Lindor. The roster has also been filled with solid depth players that can fit in the lineup nicely whenever someone goes down with an injury. The biggest question for the team that needed to be addressed was the rotation. With additions such as Carlos Carrasco, Joey Lucchesi, Jordan Yamamoto, bringing back Long Island native, Marcus Stroman, and Noah Syndergaard likely to return from Tommy John surgery sometime over the summer, it appears the team has done more than enough to fill that hole. The rotation last season did not put them in a place to succeed, with the exception of Jacob deGrom, who is possibly the best pitcher in baseball right now, the production was not quite what the team was hoping for.

Returning Stars in Queens

     As for their returning players in the lineup, it seems as if they will be putting up great offensive numbers all season. The lineup is headlined by Lindor, star first baseman Pete Alonso, who is looking to bounce back from a rough season, outfielder Michael Conforto, and utility man Jeff McNeil, who look to lead the charge for this high powered lineup. They will also look to Brandon Nimmo and JD Davis to produce as every day players along with the stars they have. On paper it doesn’t seem like the Mets have many holes on their roster for this season, but in baseball it’s not always about being the most loaded team, it’s a matter of staying healthy and playing as a team for a long season. They have had some trouble putting out the best team that they can every game due to injuries, and this could be the year that they finally live up to their potential as a team. 

The Stars of the Bronx

     As for the other side of New York, the Yankees have an absolutely stacked squad. There are stars up and down the roster. Injuries have plagued the team for years, including an all time record for a season with 31 total injured list stints. The team’s big stars especially have fallen victim to the injury bug. Franchise cornerstone, Aaron Judge, has been criticized by fans for being too “injury prone,” missing time with wrist, oblique, calf injuries, etc. Though he has missed significant time with injuries, Judge has shown that when he is able to be on the field, he is without a doubt a top ten player in the league. He can do everything that a baseball player should be able to do, which explains why he is one of the best. Along with Judge, the lineup is also filled with sluggers such as former MVP, Giancarlo Stanton, last year’s home run leader Luke Voit, two time batting champion, DJ Lemahieu and young star, Gleyber Torres. This lineup from top to bottom is a pitcher’s nightmare to face, as any of them could hit a tape measure home run at any time. The pitching also has its fair share of stars, with perennial ace Gerrit Cole, Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, and two time Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber, who look to hold down opposing lineups all season. 

The New Look Bronx Bombers

     As well as the Mets, the Yankees also made a number of moves during the offseason. Everyone knew the first priority was to bring back DJ Lemahieu, which they did, giving him a six year, $90 million contract to stay in the Bronx. They also addressed the biggest hole on the team which clearly needed help, the rotation. Acquiring Jameson Taillon from the Pirates and Corey Kluber in free agency gives the team much needed relief for Gerrit Cole to round out the rotation. Former number one prospect, Luis Severino, will also be coming back from Tommy John surgery at some point this season, and if he comes back fully healthy as the pitcher we have seen in the past, this rotation could be a scary sight for other teams. The bats are going to be what carries this team to the postseason, but in order to get back to where they want to be, the pitching is going to have to step up when it matters most and deliver some big time performances.

Championship Hopes

     The buzz surrounding both of these teams is going to be unlike anything we have seen in over a decade now. Both teams are looking to make a deep playoff run and ultimately bring a World Series back to New York. They have the talent on their rosters to do this, but only time will tell if it will happen as both have big obstacles to overcome. The Mets are going to have a steeper path to get there, as they would have to get through the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, division rival Atlanta Braves, and the up and coming San Diego Padres. The National League is flooded with talent, but the Mets are right up there in terms of talented rosters, and can certainly overtake these teams and maybe even win it all. As for the Yankees, their biggest obstacle is going to be keeping their team healthy and the quality of the pitching that they get from their pitching staff. While it is still a heated rivalry between teams, fans of both will agree that it is better when they are good at the same time and maybe even see a rematch of the 2000 World Series in a battle of New York.