The Mets and Yankees’ high-priced rosters stumbled at a bad moment – but why? | MLB

tHe is a New York Metropolitan and New York Yankees Will pay By the end of the 2025 season, players were paid nearly $640 million, but the money didn’t buy happiness for any New York City fan base. After enjoying the start of the 2025 season, the Yankees are now third in the U.S. Eastern Conference, while the Mets are 11-16 Since the All-Star Game in August and the age of 4-11.

Even if both teams will qualify for the playoffs, neither of them will meet their lofty preseason expectations if today’s season ends. Will teams that enjoy the comfortable first-place leader earlier this season have troubled with 40 games left in the season? Are all hopes lost as they enter the final quarter of the season?

metropolis

When the Mets signed a record 15-year, $765 million contract in December, they lured the superstar away from wealthy crosstown rival Yankees and inherited the many expectations of a historic signing. When Soto started (relatively slow) in the first two months of the season, the Mets gave him some of the best pitches in baseball (to May 31-May 31 2.88 ERA), and a strong offensive season with first baseman Pete Alonso.

The Mets began to falter when Soto found his usual form in June. Soto has hit 21 home runs since early June and has posted a benchmark percentage of .408, but the Mets have been on a dull 28-36 in the same time frame. The August month was a nightmare for their pitchers: The anchor team started the season’s starting pitching in the 6.22 ERA in August, taxing a weary bullpen, adding two main pieces (Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers) during the July trade deadline.

The Metropolitan cowshed is responsible for eight Team 11 Loss in August. Helsley, a two-time All-Star game who led the National League with the St Louis Cardinals last year, was brought to the All-Star game Edwin Díaz. Unfortunately, Hullsley stumbled upon the 7.11 ERA in the first eight games with the new team. It’s an unusually bad stretch for one of the baseball’s top relief pitchers, and the Mets need him to find his usual form in the loaded NL playoff game.

Even with the horrible run of recent forms, the Mets remain one of the most talented teams in baseball and a viable pennant contender. Shortstop Francisco Lindor – second only to Shohei Ohtani in last year’s NL MVP match, he is one of the most admired leaders and consistent producers of the game. Even after two major depressions earlier this season, Lindor has hit 20 home runs and 20 bases for the fifth time in his career.

If the Mets want to make the playoffs, they need to play like a playoff team until the end of September. In their last 38 games, 22 of them will face the team in the playoffs (including seven against the leading Phillies). For a team that plays 21 games in mid-June, it would be an epic collapse if the Mets somehow left their home in October.

Yankees

Last season, the Yankees won their first American League pennant in 15 years, but theirs Losing to the Dodgers in the World Series is a painful purpose caused by poor defense and clutch situations hitting bad pain. This year’s teams are better than the 2024 edition of the balance – they added top starting pitcher Max Fried, former MVP Cody Bellinger and two-time All-Star relief pitcher Devin Williams after losing to the Mets – but the Yankees still suffer from inconsistent relief pitching and a soft defense.

Judge Aaron is a good bet to win his third MVP award in four years – he leads with average hits, softball hits, hits and time – and infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr, like Lindor, has hits at least 20 home runs and grabs at least 20 bases this season. By the end of the season, shortstop Anthony Volpe may join their 20-20 club member. Offense isn’t the problem: it hits the highest percentage (.430) and has more home runs than any team in baseball (195). Bellinger (22 home runs this year) Giancarlo Stanton (441 professional home runs) will scare any opponent’s pitcher.

The problem is the pitcher. The worst era of any team on the Yankees (4.70) has been more than any team that spans baseball than any team on the baseball game. Like the Mets, the Yankees replaced two former All-Star Relief Pitchers (David Bednar and Camilo Doval) to try to stabilize the struggling staff and push the team into the playoffs. Although Bednar adapted well (2.16 ERA and 3 savings), Doval struggled to hit 6.43 ERA with eight appearances and six walks. General manager Brian Cashman might envision Doval, Bednar, former closed-end Luke Weaver and Williams in late hitters. Instead, the team is trying different roles while trying to fix the sick Williams.

After three straight seasons in Milwaukee with the ERA below 2.00 for three consecutive seasons, Williams endured a nightmare opening season in the Bronx that cost him close jobs before regaining his job, but lost his job again after surrendering on five straight outings in July and August. Williams allowed 26 runs and seven home runs in 140 innings in 2022-2024. He allowed 28 runs and five home runs in 47 1/3 of the season. Whether his problem is mechanical or psychological, Williams is not the pitcher the Yankees think they get in the offseason.

Then there is defense. Due to their infamous performance Game 5 of the 2024 World Seriesthe Yankees’ defense is more scrutinized than any other team in baseball. They may not be as bad as some say – Volpe is a shortstop with the quality of Gold Gloves, Paul Goldschmidt is still a reliable first baseman, and Bellinger is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball – but some are Embarrassing mistakes Make the conversation alive. Ultimately, this is not a trustworthy unit.

The Yankees have a very good offense that they are unlikely to miss the playoffs. The American League is much weaker than the National League this season, meaning the Yankees will likely be on the second straight flag. But if they want to return to the World Series, they will need to improve their pitching and defense.