Will New York Mets Win More Games than New York Yankees in 2015?

May 15, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets catcher Juan Centeno (36) grabs a wild throw as New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann (34) scores in 7th inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

The last time the New York Mets won more games than the New York Yankees was 2000. That was the same year when the two teams faced off in the World Series known as the “Subway Series.” Since then, the Mets have only tied the Yankees. They did that in 2006 with 97 wins each and again in 2008 when both teams won 89 games. The 2008 season was significant for the Mets as it was also the last time they finished above .500.

The Mets certainly have a tough opponent in the Yankees. The lights shine brighter in the Bronx, the payrolls are higher and history runs deeper. The last time the Yankees finished below .500 was 1992 so the first step for the Mets to pass the Yankees is winning more games than they lose.

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As daunting of a task as it may appear, the Mets won only 5 fewer games than the Yankees did in 2014. Their 79 victories challenged for a winning record that would have ended a streak they’d surely like to have put behind them.

Thankfully, the Mets are getting better. You can even say the Yankees are getting worse. They have an older team of injured players with the Alex Rodriguez issues to deal with in 2015. Meanwhile, the Mets have a young and exciting starting rotation with a still productive Bartolo Colon thrown in there to bring some maturity to the group.

The offense for the Mets is still a bit weak, however. Even with the designated hitter in the lineup instead of a pitcher batting on a nightly basis, the Yankees only scored four more runs than the Mets in 2014. Down years from the likes of Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira, and former Met Carlos Beltran contributed to the lowest win total for the Yankees since their streak of winning seasons.

Players on the Yankees are only going to get older, achier, and crankier. Players on the Mets’ roster are getting closer to their prime with Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, and Travis d’Arnaud all in the 25-30 age range. It’s not a crazy argument to make in favor of the Mets’ offense over the Yankees with the direction these two teams are going in and the way their 2014 seasons ended.

Likely, this wouldn’t even be something to anticipate in 2015 if Matt Harvey was around last year. His absence took away from the Mets’ win total, which would have surely put them over 81 wins and challenged the Yankees’ total of 84.

Something else to consider are the divisions these two teams play in. The Mets may be the second best team in the National League East and accomplish this rather easily. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies got worse this offseason and the Miami Marlins are still unproven. The Yankees play in a much more difficult American League East that features three potential playoff teams and the Tampa Bay Rays who are still far from pushovers and certainly won’t want to give the Yankees any additional wins.

A comparable or better offense, a better overall pitching staff, and an easier division tells us that yes, the Mets will win more games than the Yankees in 2015.

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