Living around the Tri-State area, this debate always appears: Which MLB team is the best in New York? A few years ago, the clear answer would be the New York Yankees, but times have changed. Since Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets, the tide of dominance has changed greatly.
Going into the first full month of the 2022 season, it is difficult to tell which New York team would come out on top, but it is safe to say at least one of these teams will go far into the postseason.
Which New York team is better? Is it the Mets or Yankees? Let’s take a look.
New York Mets
When the Wilpons sold the Mets to Steve Cohen back in the fall of 2020, the franchise finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The Mets’ embarrassing play was soon to be a thing of the past.
In 2021, the Mets finished 77-85, 13 games out of first place in the National League East. Even though the Mets finished with a losing record, you could feel the momentum shifting from a negative to a positive.
Multiple Mets fans believe this year is their year to make some noise. The momentum was shifting because ownership was finally ready to pay some money. During this past offseason, the Mets spent nearly $124.5 million in free agency, signing players like Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar. Also, the big signing of Max Scherzer was the statement declaring the Mets are going all in to win a World Series. The Mets also made sure they beefed up their starting rotation by trading for Chris Bassitt from the Oakland A’s.
The Mets look like the Yankees of old, showing money is no object and winning is the only thing that matters. Currently, the Mets are 13-7 and in first place in the National League East. I know there is still a ton of baseball left and the Mets are known for collapsing halfway through the season, but this year feels different. If the Mets can get Jacob deGrom back healthy and the rest of the team can stay consistent, then the Mets are going to make some noise in the postseason.
Mets 2022 Opening Day Lineup
- S. Marte (RF)
- J.D. Davis (DH)
- F. Lindor (SS)
- P. Alonso (1B)
- E. Escobar (3B)
- R. Cano (2B)
- M. Canha (CF)
- J. McNeil (LF)
- J. McCann (C)
New York Yankees
Currently, the New York Yankees are 16-6 and are sitting in first in a very competitive American League East.
For years, the Yankees have dominated the Mets, composing multiple winning seasons and postseason wins. The problem the Yankees have is that they can’t win the big game. It seems like the past couple of years have ended in disappointment, including last year’s loss to Boston in the AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park.
General manager Brian Cashman has received a lot of criticism from the fan base. Multiple fans are disappointed with the way the lineup is structured. The Yankees’ lineup has very few contact hitters and the lineup is home run or bust. The way the Yankees are structured seems to not be built to win a postseason series or a Wild Card game. The Yankees can win 95 games, but struggle to get by the first round of the postseason. Throughout their lineup, they have a lot of swing-and-miss hitters and their home runs don’t help as much when there is no one on base.
It’s not all Cashman’s fault. Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, is not willing to spend the money like his father once did. Don’t get me wrong, the Yankees roster is a lot better than most MLB clubs, but I am just tired of being disappointed come postseason time. However, if the Yankees keep playing the way they are playing as of the time of this writing, we might finally see them make some noise in the postseason.
Yankees 2022 Opening Day Lineup
- J. Donaldson (3B)
- A. Judge (RF)
- A. Rizzo (1B)
- G. Stanton (DH)
- D. LeMahieu (2B)
- J. Gallo (LF)
- A. Hicks (CF)
- K. Higashioka (C)
- I. Kiner – Falefa (SS)
Could there be a possible subway World Series between the Mets and Yankees?
Can there be a repeat of the subway World Series? The way the Mets and Yankees are playing, it certainly could happen. As of now, the Mets have a better starting rotation, but the Yankees have a way better bullpen. On paper, the Yankees and Mets have an even roster, but the Yankees play in a tougher division. The American League East is extremely competitive and any team from that division can make a run to the World Series. If the Yankees can make it that far, they will be battle-tested.
Both teams are on or near the top of the FanSided MLB power rankings, so it is not a long shot to say that both teams could face off in the World Series.
Which team do you think is the best? Why? Let us know in the comments section below.