Mets

Remember back on August 11th, when the New York Mets were swept at home by the Arizona Diamondbacks falling to .500, looked out of the playoff race and their manager, Terry Collins, look like he was going to be fired? This is the same team that surprised everyone and made it to the World Series last year. Well, this team has really struggled with its depleted roster and it’s not Terry Collins fault. David Wright and Matt Harvey who were struggling are gone for the year, Zack Wheeler still hasn’t pitched an MLB game in two years because of Tommy John surgery, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jose Reyes, and Yoenis Cespedes have each returned from DL stints this year, but they still aren’t 100 percent, Neil Walker is done for the year and, lastly, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz both have bone spurs in their elbows. To go with that, according to the stats, the New York Mets are one of the worst offensive teams in baseball.

According to MLB.com, they are 27th in batting average, dead last in average with runners in scoring position and 26th in on-base percentage. Since August 11th, they are 17-9 and currently have the second wild card spot and are a half-game behind the Giants for the first spot. This stretch was around the time when team meeting was held, Terry Collins let the whole world that the team is lacking heart. Now the team is doing what they do best, hit home runs, and great starting pitching with some help from role players. Players like James Loney, Seth Lugo, Rafael Montero, Robert Gsellman and Wilmer Flores have been pleasant surprises in roles because with the exception of Flores, the other players weren’t on the opening day roster. Gsellman, Lugo and Montero were all in the minors, and Loney was a free agent. Terry Collins and the Mets coaching staff deserve credit. They pressed the right buttons and it started when they got swept and Collins pretty much called out the team.

Now the Mets are playing with effort and having fun doing it fresh off their sweep of the Reds. If you look at last year, where they are at in the standings, and their remaining schedule, the Mets have a good setup to return to the playoffs. The Mets play only one team that is above .500 with 26 games remaining. The Cardinals have a much tougher schedule and the Giants have been the worst team in baseball since the All-Star break. If the Mets don’t make the playoffs, it would be looked at as a disappointment but, with the roster the Mets have, and where they are at, Terry Collins shouldn’t the one to blame if they fail.

Yankees

Coming into the August 1st trade deadline, the big question on the New York Yankees was will they be buyers or sellers. They were above .500 coming into the deadline, but they couldn’t catch up to the top teams in the A.L East and the A.L wild card. They go on good run to get back in the race, then they lose a series and go back to where they started. The Yankees beat the Indians in a series going into the all star break, then they lose a series to the Red Sox, then they win 3 straight series against the Orioles, Giants, and Astros, then they get swept by the Rays. They win one series then they lose the next. They’re talent just wasn’t good enough to compete.

Alex Rodriguez didn’t provide much when he played, Mark Carlos Teixeira hasn’t been 100 percent all season and when he was on the court he wasn’t producing either, Chase Headley, Aaron Hicks and Jacoby Ellsbury have had their problems too. Besides Masahiro Tanaka, the starting has been inconsistent because you don’t know what you’re going to get out of them. What kept them afloat throughout the season was Carlos Beltran and Didi Gregorius and their bullpen. When the Yankees were swept by the Rays, it was a reality check that it was time to build for the future. They traded Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran, and called up their young players like Aaron Judge, Tyler Austin, Gary Sanchez and it has changed. But manager Joe Girardi wasn’t fazed by the situation.

Since the trade deadline, the Yankees are 21-13 and they are also fresh off a sweep of the Blue Jays, and find themselves 4.5 out of the A.L East and 2 back for a wild card spot. Girardi has gotten the best out of a team that wasn’t suppose to be in a playoff hunt with the heart and effort of the players. Even if the Yankees don’t make the playoffs, does it really matter? They have nothing to lose! They got rid of some of their best players for multiple prospects and got better! It’s unheard of for a team to sell at the deadline and get better. After the deadline the primary focus for the Yankees has been and still is to develop their young talent and pursue future free agents to build another Yankee dynasty. If the Yankees make the playoffs great, if they don’t oh well, but still, if you’re a Yankee fan you have to be excited watching them be competitive in a playoff hunt in September and also knowing the future is bright.