PORT STREET LUCIE — I remember when we had the Mayor’s Trophy Game. I remember when George Steinbrenner made it mandatory to beat the Mets in spring training, or whatever, his own version of March Madness. I remember when just looking at each other evoked a significant level of subway disgust. If not more so.
But on Tuesday, the Mets and Yankees turned hostile. This was more of a reunion than a grudge.
Hours before the first of three spring games between New York and New York, former Yankees Harrison Bader, Luis Severino and especially Carlos Mendoza hugged and hung with old teammates near the batting cage. Ta. The surrounding icebreakers were Yankees without hair follicles, who pointed out Bader and Severino’s beards and Mendoza’s goatee with good-natured derision.
Aaron Boone joked that Mendoza, his former bench coach and new Mets manager, “needs to step up” in his hot pursuit.
It was as if this rivalry would boil down to a hair’s breadth today and disappear tomorrow.
But look deeper. The bond goes beyond how respected and well-liked Mendoza was in the Bronx. There’s a crossroads that crosses from Queens to the Bronx, and the similarities say a lot about what the season will be like in New York.
Pete Alonso vs. Juan Soto
How does Scott Boras’ client spend his years walking? Alonso has more in common with Aaron Judge than Soto in terms of baseball biography. He’s a raw slugger that fans are clamoring to keep out. How close can Alonso get to Judge’s 62-home run season — and will that result in him forcing Steve Cohen to help financially, just as Judge did to Hal Steinbrenner? ?
Soto, on the other hand, will be at bat in front of the judges, which may mean fewer walks but more pitches to hit.
Francisco Alvarez vs. Anthony Volpe
At this time last year, MLB.com ranked Alvarez as the third-best prospect in the majors and Volpe as the fifth-best prospect. After that, both players had a sluggish offensive season in which they had power but too many strikeouts, but had a similar batting average of .209, exceeding the expectations of their well-trained defenses. Their organization considers them intermediate fixtures on the diamond. Can their attack take a step forward to validate their predictions?
Luis Severino vs. Carlos Rodon
Of all pitchers in Yankees history to start at least 14 games, only David Cone’s 6.91 ERA in 2000 was worse than Severino’s 6.65 and Rodon’s 6.85 last season. Severino needed to sign a one-year, $13 million make-up contract with the Mets. Rodon lost weight as part of his confidence-building efforts. Last season, both pitched as if their confidence had waned. Accustomed to having elite players and dominant hitters, the two tried to cope and react to being criticized by those around them.
Severino continued to pitch throughout the offseason, aiming for his first fully healthy season since 2018. Rodon arrived in Tampa in January to better prepare for the season. Can both or one of you rediscover the best parts of yourself?
Jeff McNeil vs. DJ LeMahieu
A former batting champion (two-time in LeMahieu’s case), he posted an OPS of over 96 last season. LeMahieu hit .243 and McNeil .270. Their versatility has helped over the years, but LeMahieu appears to be locked primarily at third base and McNeil at second base. LeMahieu was good in the second half and has been good this spring, encouraging the Yankees that he can bring veteran experience in front of Soto and Judge.
McNeil is absent from the game due to discomfort in his left biceps. Mendoza said the team is not planning any imaging tests, a sign that concerns are limited. McNeil has been doing some defensive work, and Coach Mendoza said he expects his hitting progress to start to escalate this week in hopes of having McNeil ready for Opening Day. .
David Peterson vs. Clark Schmidt
It’s not just that Peterson was selected 20th overall and Schmidt 16th overall in 2017. This (for now anyway) ignores Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell in this free agent market, which puts them in a better position to re-sign Alonso and Soto and generally continue. is a better representation of both clubs knowing they have to get their cheap pitching staffs used. Be aggressive in free agency.
Peterson underwent hip surgery and will be sidelined for at least two months. However, the Mets still believe they have a starting pitcher. They also haven’t given up on Tyler Megill, who will likely fill in for the first few weeks while Kodai Chiga (shoulder) heals. And the Mets have a group of potential starters they really like in Christian Scott and Dominique Hamel and Mike Bashir, who should reach the majors this year.
Schmidt was the Yankees’ second-most reliable starter last year, and so far the Yankees have shown no inclination to aggressively jump on Snell and turn Schmidt into a rotational force. They believe Will Warren (quantity and slow-throwing temperament) will help with depth, and they believe Chase Hampton could be a factor as the season progresses. Probably Clayton Beater, Luis Gil, and Yoendriz Gomez as well.
Which New York team will get more from their inexperienced pitchers this season?
