How a New York Yankees-New York Mets World Series is possible
There’s a chance that there could be a World Series featuring both the New York Yankees and New York Mets in 2018, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if it happens.
The New York Yankees are the talk of baseball during the offseason, because they acquired Giancarlo Stanton, and it appears they have a lineup comparable to Murderer’s Row. Quietly on the other side of town, the New York Mets are building a playoff contender. Recent history shows us that all you need to do is get into the playoffs, and you can make noise.
Aaron Judge and Stanton could be a powerful duo that rivals Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they both have 50 or more home runs in 2018. What happens if the Mets pitching staff stays relatively healthy in 2018? Would it then surprise people if they end up in the Fall Classic? It shouldn’t.
The pitchers of the Mets can make it tough on the rest of the league, if they stay healthy. As Alan Schechter of Empire Writes Back wrote:
"If Dave Eiland and Mickey Callaway can figure out the magic potion to keep them all healthy it will be something scary for the rest of the league."
Many are writing off the Mets, including their own fans, and they can’t really be blamed for that. That said, the Mets offense is good enough to make hay while they’re in the regular season. Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz could carry this team to the World Series if the Mets make it to October.
Winning in the postseason is about defense and pitching, and the Mets have enough of both to be successful in the playoffs. The key is to get there. If they get there, the sky is the limit for the Mets, and they could meet the Yankees in the World Series. Then we would see what wins, dominant pitching or the dominant offense.