Is a Subway Series in October Imminent?
Per Vegas Insider, the Yankees and the Mets have the third and fourth best odds to win the MLB World Series respectively. The last time we saw such a thing was 2000, with the Yankees triumphing over the Mets. But what would a Subway Series ring mean to each team and what could such a contest mean for the city of New York?
First examining the Yankees, who have not won a world series since their inaugural season in their new stadium in 2009, the Yankees star Aaron Judge is an impending free agent following the completion of this season. Yet with Judge’s exceptional performance in the season thus far, he is expected to demand a whopping $300 million contract. If he were to play a key role in the Yankees winning another ring, his demands may exceed that already astronomical number. The Yankees believe that in addition to Aaron Judge, the rest of their roster has what it takes to win the series this year. According to Sports Illustrated, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole asserted, “ We have the guys in the room to do it..”, expressing his confidence in his teammates. Yankees fans would be pleased with another ring as they started off the season strong with a 9 and 11 game win streak in the first half of the season despite a mid-August slump. The 2010’s was the second decade ever in which the Yankees since they were established that they failed to bring home a ring, and many lifelong Yankee fans are used to watching them win.
As for the Mets, whose most recent world series victory was in 1986, many of them are looking for redemption since a disappointing 2015 world series loss to the Royals. The Mets’ strategy to make it to the end of October is newly acquired Daniel Vogelbach. While Vogelbach’s appearance isn’t typical for a ballplayer in terms of physique, he is known for his wild success at the plate versus right-handed pitchers. Not only that, his batting average and on-base percentage have increased since joining the Mets. In addition, the Mets’ lineup includes big-name players Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor who together account for 70 home runs as of mid-August. Safe to say, the Mets have a lineup capable of cruising past their biggest obstacle, the Dodgers in the upcoming Playoffs.
The last two years have been rough for the city that never sleeps as most of its residents have taken off to Florida as the pandemic raged. Not only did NYC residents flee southward, but many businesses also relocated their headquarters to Florida as well. Many storefronts in the city read “available for rent” and a surge in crime has left many fearful of a subway commute to work. Suffice it to say, the city is not what it used to be. If the Yankees and Mets face off in the World Series, a sense of life and celebration will return to the Big Apple. Many bars and restaurants will hold watch parties with fans of both teams in attendance. A parade down Broadway with thousands rejoicing will compel many newly dubbed Floridians to rethink their choice in what has become “the New York Exodus”. If the Yankees and Mets make it to the series, the city that never sleeps will have a new sense of awakening.
