As a baseball fan, there is nothing better than watching your team play meaningful games in September. Unfortunately, as a New Yorker, this is something that we haven't been able to enjoy recently. The Yankees have missed the postseason two years in a row and the Mets have not made an appearance since 2006. This year is different though, with both teams in position to not only make the playoffs, but perhaps make long runs into October. This is just the beginning, with emerging young talent, both teams are poised to be contenders for the better part of the next decade.
The Yankees, a team usually known for a depleted farm system, have found a balance this season of established veterans and promising young talent. In what was thought by many to be a transitional year, the Yankees have gotten enough production from veterans like Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira to stay in the hunt. With late season additions of big name prospects, Luis Severino and Greg Bird, the Yankees have reinvigorated the fan base and still have high level prospects, Aaron Judge and Jorge Mateo, in the pipeline. General Manager Brian Cashman has continued to show a dedication to acquiring outside talent, returning the Yankees to their winning ways. Coming down the stretch, the team will look to catch the Blue Jays for first place in the American League East, knowing they have the safety net of a Wild Card spot to fall back on.
For the Mets, all the waiting has finally paid off. The cries of “Next year is our year” have finally ceased and the team is currently in position to make their first postseason appearance in a decade. The Mets are being led by possibly the best rotation in baseball, in what has been one of the most bizarre seasons of all time. A team that, over the first half of the season, had one of the worst offenses in the history of the sport, has turned it around. They now own one of the largest division leads in the league. It all began with the acquisitions made by, often criticized, General Manager Sandy Alderson. In very uncharacteristic form, Alderson went out and acquired a number of players at the trade deadline, including superstar Yoenis Cespedes. Following the trade, the Mets ascended to first in their division and have not looked back.
All of this culminates next week when the Mets and Yankees face off for a three game series. Two fan bases that have been without meaningful September baseball will face off in the most important regular season series ever between the two teams. The series has division implications for both teams but could mean even more. This has the potential to be the turning point for New York baseball. Not since 2006 have both teams made the postseason, and even then, the Mets fell off substantially after that season. Very rarely have both the Mets and Yankees maintained successful multiyear runs at the same time. These next few years could potentially be the best in the history of New York baseball, because really, New York is a baseball city. Football will never overtake that.
The excitement around a successful team in Manhattan is something special and we might just be lucky enough to witness it for both the Mets and Yankees in the years to come.
