Constructing an all-Subway Collection roster, rotation as Mets and Yankees put together for 2 video games at Citi Area

The primary leg of the 2024 Subway Collection kicks off Tuesday night time at Citi Area because the New York Mets host the crosstown rival New York Yankees for the primary of two video games. Two video games at Citi Area this week, two video games at Yankee Stadium from July 23-24. The Mets have received eight of the final 14 Subway Collection video games since 2021, together with 5 of seven in Queens.

“It is New York Metropolis. Largest, best metropolis on the earth. Two nice franchises,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone advised the New York Publish about enjoying the Mets. “Over the course of 162 video games, it provides a little bit totally different type of buzz and pleasure and break within the regular monotony of the season. I feel it is thrilling for the gamers on each groups, actually the fan bases and definitely town. Doing it in {the summertime} — clearly the Mets are beginning to play good baseball right here. So I feel it is one thing we all the time look ahead to.”

The Mets had baseball’s worst document in Might (9-19) and now they’ve baseball’s finest document in June (13-6). They’ve received 13 of their final 17 video games, however nonetheless sit two video games underneath .500 at 37-39. That is ok to be just one.5 video games behind the NL’s third wild-card spot. The Yankees have baseball’s third-best document at 52-28. They’ve misplaced seven of their final 10 video games and 4 of their final 5 collection, nonetheless. The Mets are flying excessive heading into the Subway Collection. The Yankees are reeling a bit.

Listed below are the small print for this week’s Yankees vs. Mets collection at Citi Area. Choose video games could be streamed on fuboTV (attempt without cost). 

The Mets rearranged their rotation final week and Luis Severino won’t face his former staff this collection. He began Sunday night time. The rotation strikes weren’t about Severino particularly. The Yankees have been significantly better in opposition to righties (.782 OPS) than lefties (.699 OPS) this season, and the Mets needed Peterson and Manaea to pitch within the Subway Collection.

There are many Yankees-Mets connections on the 2 rosters. The Yankees simply picked up former Met J.D. Davis and added him to Phil Bickford, Michael Tonkin, and Marcus Stroman, all of who performed for the Mets at one level. Along with Severino, the Mets have former Yankees Harrison Bader and Adam Ottavino enjoying distinguished roles. Additionally, Mets rookie supervisor Carlos Mendoza was Boone’s bench coach from 2020-23. Mendoza began his teaching profession with the Yankees in 2009.

“They’ve a very good staff,” Mendoza advised the New York Publish. “We now have received a very good staff and we’re enjoying nicely too.”

With the Subway Collection set to start Tuesday, let’s evaluate the Yankees and Mets place by place utilizing their rosters as they sit proper now, heading into the collection. Right here is the story of the tape for New York baseball.

The Yankees have gotten good work from their Jose Trevino/Austin Wells catching platoon, largely as a result of they price as two of the very best pitch-framers within the sport. Alvarez is likely one of the finest hitting catchers in baseball although, with uncommon energy for the place. He is starting to hit his stride on the plate after lacking shut to 2 months with a thumb damage. Alvarez additionally confirmed he is no slouch defensively as a rookie final yr. It is humorous, each Alvarez and Wells got here up by way of the minors as bat-first catchers with questions on their glove, but each have confirmed themselves to be fairly good defenders on the MLB degree.

Even earlier than his damaged arm, Anthony Rizzo was neither hitting nor defending a lot. Rookie Ben Rice has gone 5 for 17 (.294) and put collectively robust at-bats since being known as up final week, however yeah, straightforward name right here. Alonso’s the very best first baseman in New York and has been since his first day within the massive leagues.

Yeesh. Torres is the lesser of two evils right here. He is having a depressing contract yr (.634 OPS) but has one way or the other been higher than Jeff McNeil (.572 OPS), who has begun to lose enjoying time to veteran Jose Iglesias. Iglesias largely performs in opposition to lefties, so with the Yankees beginning two righties this collection, it is seemingly McNeil can be within the lineup for the Subway Collection. The much less stated about second base, the higher. A fully wasteland of a place in New York.

Anthony Volpe has made massive strides in his sophomore yr by lowering his strikeouts and utilizing your complete area, plus he is a gifted defender who received a Gold Glove as a rookie final yr. Volpe’s nice. He isn’t Lindor although, even when their offensive numbers are practically equivalent: .743 OPS vs. .741 OPS. Lindor has been on a rampage since transferring to the leadoff spot final month (.891 OPS in 32 video games) and it is not like he is missing within the area. And the observe document is way, for much longer. Over the subsequent 5-7 years, I’d take Volpe. For the subsequent two video games, give me Lindor.

Brett Baty began the season at third base for the Mets, performed his approach right into a demotion again to Triple-A, and Vientos has stepped in and been very productive on the scorching nook. The change at third base coincides with the Mets turning their season round. The Yankees have had a revolving door at third base all yr — Oswaldo Cabrera leads the staff in begins at third base and DJ LeMahieu is the man proper now — however whoever they’ve put there hasn’t contributed a lot. Yankees third basemen are among the many least productive positions in baseball this season (.605 OPS and 0.4 WAR).

Nimmo is consistency personified. He runs above-average on-base percentages yearly like clockwork and take a look at his OPS+ the final 4 seasons: 131 in 2021, 130 in 2022, 129 in 2023, 130 in 2024. The shift to left area has helped his protection too. He’d been a bit under common in heart the previous couple of years. Now he is common or perhaps a tick above in left. Alex Verdugo is likely one of the finest left fielder defenders within the sport and a reliable league average-ish hitter, however he isn’t Nimmo. 

Heart area: Aaron Choose, Yankees
Proper area: Juan Soto, Yankees

I do not assume we have to spend an excessive amount of time on these positions. Soto and Choose rank 1-2 in on-base share amongst all hitters and so they’re each high 5 in OPS and WAR. They’re two of the easiest gamers on the earth. Former Yankee Harrison Bader and former Yankees draft decide D.J. Stewart are nice gamers who don’t have any enterprise beginning over Choose and Soto on a mixed Mets-Yankees roster. Stewart, by the way in which, figures to start out instead of Starling Marte, who’s headed to the injured record with a knee challenge.

The Yankees misplaced Giancarlo Stanton to a hamstring pressure final week and, if he have been wholesome, this place would have been a little bit nearer. Stanton’s had a pleasant bounceback season after two disappointing years from 2022-23. The Yankees determine to make use of their DH spot as a revolving door for now, with J.D. Davis a certainty to start out in opposition to the 2 Mets lefties this week. Trent Grisham may additionally see time in heart with Choose and Soto splitting time in proper and at DH. Martinez signed late and wanted just a few weeks to rise up to hurry on the plate. He is been as productive and as clutch as ever the final six weeks or so.

Now that we have picked our 9 place gamers, let’s construct a lineup, lets?

1. SS Francisco Lindor, switch-hitter
2. RF Juan Soto, LHB
3. CF Aaron Choose, RHB
4. DH J.D. Martinez, RHB
5. 1B Pete Alonso, RHB
6. LF Brandon Nimmo, LHB
7. C Francisco Alvarez, RHB
8. 3B Mark Vientos, RHB
9. 2B Gleyber Torres, RHB

A bit righty heavy, particularly within the 3-4-5 slots, however Choose, Martinez, and Alonso should not your typical righty bats. If it is that massive of a priority, you may all the time flip Choose and Soto within the 2-3 spots to area the lefties out a bit extra. Run that lineup and every participant’s slash line by way of the Baseball Musings Lineup Evaluation instrument, and also you get a lineup that will common 5.79 runs per sport. The Baltimore Orioles are averaging 5.19 runs per sport, most in baseball. The league common is 4.35 runs per sport this yr.

Starters: Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, Yankees

Even after getting rocked for seven runs in 1 1/3 innings final day out, Gil continues to be high 10 within the AL in ERA and WAR. He stepped into the rotation when Cole went down with nerve irritation in his elbow in spring coaching and has pitched in addition to Cole did final yr, when he received the AL Cy Younger unanimously. Tuesday can be Cole’s second begin off the injured record and he’ll seemingly be restricted to 75 pitches or so. Nonetheless, give me Cole on a pitch restrict and Gil over David Peterson and Sean Manaea, no offense to them. The Yankees have had top-of-the-line rotations in baseball this season. Nearly any pairing of two Yankees starters can be the decide right here.

Edwin Díaz received slapped with a 10-game suspension after getting busted with sticky stuff Sunday night time. Until he appeals, he’ll miss the Subway Collection. Even earlier than that although, Díaz was having a so-so season, although he had been higher of late. Mendoza will lean on some mixture of Jake Diekman, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez, and Adam Ottavino to shut video games whereas Díaz is out. Holmes has just a few hiccups currently, however he is been superb general this season, and is the sport’s premier ground-ball specialist. The remainder of the Yankees bullpen exterior Luke Weaver has been shaky the previous couple of weeks. The Mets have a extra dependable setup crew in the mean time.

The Yankees try to carry off the O’s within the AL East and the Mets try to get into wild-card place. These are vital video games for each groups. Add within the crosstown rivalry and it will likely be an electrical environment at Citi Area these subsequent two night time. It all the time is when the Mets and Yankees meet. Desire a prediction? I will be boring and say the Mets and Yankees break up the 2 video games. The Yankees take the opener behind Cole, then the Mets walk-off in opposition to Holmes on Wednesday.