A unique Yankees vs. Mets series: Battle of arms hogs limelight as star sluggers stay out

Over the course of more than 25 years, the regular season games between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets have given baseball fans a rare chance to see the best players and stars in the game. Only a few times a season, these highly-anticipated games bring together the best offensive power show in baseball on display on one stage.

However, this Subway Series is going to be different. Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso, who lead their leagues in home runs, will not be able to play, as they are injured. Instead, the pitchers will take center stage and there will be an exciting battle on the mound. Even though both the Yankees and Mets may not have met expectations in recent games, they have a habit of stepping up when they play each other. Even though the pitchers may have had trouble in their last games, they have well-known names that add to the excitement of the Yankees vs. Mets series.

Following their respective losses in the deciding games of their three-game series on Sunday, both the Yankees and the Mets enjoyed a day off on Monday. While the Mets struggled to muster only three hits in a 2-1 defeat against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Yankees relinquished their lead in the eighth inning and ultimately succumbed to the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in 10 innings.

Yankees need Severino to fire as Mets rely on Scherzer

After commencing the season on the injured list, Luis Severino (0-1, 5.75 ERA) has made a comeback for the Yankees, making four starts so far. His initial two starts showcased his brilliance as he impressively struck out 10 batters across 11⅓ innings, conceding merely two earned runs. However, his performance took a downturn in his subsequent two starts, as he encountered challenges and struggled to replicate his earlier success.

Max Scherzer (5-2, 3.71 ERA), on the other hand, has experienced a mixture of outcomes this season. His performance has been a tale of two extremes, with three starts showcasing his dominance as he pitched at least six innings and surrendered one or zero earned runs. However, in three other starts, he struggled, allowing five or more earned runs. In addition to his on-field challenges, Scherzer also faced a setback when he received a 10-game suspension due to violations of Major League Baseball’s rules concerning sticky substances.

Can Gerrit Cole better Justin Verlander?

Gerrit Cole (7-1, 2.84 ERA) has been having an exceptional year across the board, but his performances following a Yankees loss have been especially remarkable. In the six starts he has made this season following a defeat by his team, the Yankees ace has showcased a stellar 2.00 ERA, resulting in six consecutive victories for the Yankees. As Tuesday’s matchup against the Mets approaches, if Luis Severino is unable to subdue their offense, the Yankees can rely on Cole to break the team’s slump, as he has consistently done throughout the season. Many have begun to see him as a potential contender for CY Young Award.

Standing in Gerrit Cole’s path would be Justin Verlander (2-3, 4.85 ERA), a pitcher known for his resilience and immense talent, which has earned him a place alongside Max Scherzer as one of the highest-paid pitchers in the game. The Mets ace has exhibited flashes of his remarkable abilities, but he has also endured struggles in three out of his seven starts, being on the receiving end of substantial runs. Given that Verlander is now 40 years old, it is natural to question whether expectations should be adjusted for his future performances, although history has shown that he has repeatedly defied such doubts in the past.

A no show for big New York Sluggers

Despite the absence of Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso, the two games between the Yankees and Mets still carry a heightened sense of tension, even in what has been a challenging season for the Mets thus far.

Recent offensive struggles have shown how hard it has been for the New York teams to play without Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge. This season, these two powerhouses have been leading their leagues in home runs. Mets’ Alonso has hit 22 home runs, and Yankees’ Judge has hit 19 balls out of the park. Since 2019, they are also the top two home run hitters in the big leagues because of how well they hit long balls. The fact that their teams have been having trouble scoring shows how much their departures have changed the way power-hitting works.

Pete Alonso, who shattered Aaron Judge’s rookie home run record in 2019 with an astonishing 53 long balls, has accumulated an impressive total of 168 homers over the past four-plus years. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge, renowned for his powerful swing, achieved an American League record of 62 homers last season and has amassed a notable 156 homers in his career.

In the absence of Aaron Judge, the Yankees have struggled with a 3-4 record and have been restricted to a mere 21 runs scored since June 4, placing them fourth-lowest among all teams in either league during that period. On the other hand, the Mets, who unfortunately experienced their seventh consecutive loss on the same night Pete Alonso sustained an injury, managed to score 22 runs in their initial three games without their powerful first baseman.

Yankees bullpen trump card

When it comes to the bullpens, the Yankees undeniably hold the advantage in this series. Aaron Boone’s bullpen has demonstrated its prowess as one of the finest in baseball this season.

Following a challenging beginning to the season, Clay Holmes has managed to regain his form and has surrendered only one run in his previous 18 appearances. Wandy Peralta has proven to be particularly formidable against left-handed hitters, limiting them to a minuscule .031 batting average this season. Ron Marinaccio and Michael King have displayed consistent performances, while the return of Tommy Kahnle from injury further strengthens the bullpen.

In contrast to the Yankees, the Mets have encountered recent struggles and have been going through a rough patch. With the exception of David Robertson and Brooks Raley, Buck Showalter, the Mets’ manager, finds himself with limited reliable options in the bullpen.

Drew Smith has had trouble with his slider all year because it has never worked well, which has led to bad results. Even so, he keeps depending on the pitch, which has caused him to give up six runs in his last seven starts. Also, Adam Ottavino is still having trouble keeping runners from getting on base, and his season ERA is now at 4.21.

Jeff Brigham has been consistent, but his dependability in high-stakes events is still not clear. Also, the last few spots in the bullpen have been changing all season, so there hasn’t been much security there. But it’s important to note that left-handed pitcher Josh Walker had a good showing on Sunday, pitching well for two innings and making a good impression.

Without a doubt, monitoring the utilization and effectiveness of the bullpen will be crucial throughout this series if the Yankees want to maintain their record against the Mets.

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