On December 7, 2023, the New York Yankees balanced an exchange of box office success with San Diego’s parents. They cost a penny a lot, with the future contender of Cy Young Michael King leading the package of five players on the other side, but the Bronx bomber landed two batters: the backup gardener Trent Grisham and the man better compatred with no less than a the theot.
It was a daring Yankees swing, since Soto only had one year of equipment control removing and would surely demand a monster contract in free agency. With Scott Boras like his agent, there was no hope or an extension. But the Yanks were desperate after missing the playoffs in 2023 with their worst since the year of the Draft from the draft of the draft, 1992. His captain, Aaron Judge, was an unquestionable superstar, but the previous season showed that he needed more support in the lineuup for the aligned more support. And as it was on the wrong side of 30, the time was essential.
Fast progress 10 months until October 19, 2024. Directed by incredible Campaigns of Judge and Soto, who ended first and third respectively in the MVP vote of Al MVP, the Yankees won the East of the League to the Bye Winnatched Bye and Bye Bye in The Vatched Bye, in the Curnes, far from ensuring their first flag in 15 years. The judge had a lot of leg warming in October, but Soto’s key contributions and a resurgence Giancarlo Stanton had them at the doors of the World Series. The possible decisive factor went to additional entries, and Soto took a step forward with two men in the tenth.
He followed a break for the ages. When the thing was established, Soto had sent the Yankees to the autumn classic.
The Dodgers finally broke the hearts of the Yankees in the World Series, but Soto did almost everything he could, winning completely over the Yankees fans in the process. They demanded that the owner Hall Steinbrenner and the company bring back the 26 -year -old and gave him another chance with the judge. It was far from being an unreasonable application for the jewelry franchise, and the probabilities seemed good that Soto really returned. He had a professional year while hitting Judge, and historical, if the Yankees have a legitimate interest in re -signing one of his players, he almost always passes. That is the path of things.
Indeed, on December 13, 2024, a smiling Soto with the press in New York after accepting a free agent contract that takes in the industry … with the METS.
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Photo of Al Bello/Getty Images
Well, that’s different.
Soto Landing in Queens was simultaneously a surprise and not terrible. Once again, the Yankees usually land their boy, more recently in December 2022 when recently recently out of a 62 -homeros season, Judge returned to New York for a $ 360 million contract after flirting with the giants and parents.
But the Mets is in that war of offers, and its owner, Steve Cohen, has the son of pure capital by hand that can eclipse the other 29 teams, even the loaded Yankees, when the chickens use it. Soto represented a unique opportunity to land a Slam-Dunk star of about 20 years, to the players of that caliber is usual under the control of the team. Like the Yankees, the Mets fell barely the glory in 2024 since the Dodgers shortened the season of their dreams in a six games NLCS. Altheheye entered the playoffs as a wild card and far exceeded anyone’s expectations, so close to seeing his first world series as an owner had to stay in Craw in Cohen. Unlike many owners, Mets are not just an investment for him, they are a passion.
Cohen was driven to get Soto, and got his man. It was a sacrifice of 15 years and $ 765 million without postponements and the inclusion of a possible empty exclusion clause that could the real contract to $ 800 million, but Soto agreed to reject the Yanks in the tender war and join the cushions.
Now, when the calendar arrives in mid -May, both the Yankees and the Mets feel first while preparing for their first confrontation of the season of the season. Three games will play at Yankee Stage this weekend, and Soto will return to Bronx for the first time since he rejected fans who wanted him less than half a year ago. As Soto himself knows, the reception will surely be extremely different.*
*And as with Robinson Canó a decade ago, probably Lack of self -awareness About the favorite team of fans.
All this makes the Subway series convincing this year. In the past, it is overvalued. Mets fans hate the Yankees, but Yankees fans generally consider that Mets are an annoying little brother, if it is considered at all. This does not mean that good games are impossible to find; The two teams were playoff clubs in 2022 and produced a Helluva Rumble on July 27 of that year with late heroics on both sides.
But the best confrontations of the Subway series have some additional spices. The seemingly eternal war of Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza has come to mind since the beginning of 20,000, spilling into an unforgettable confrontation of the World Series.
Today, no one in the Yankees or Mets club houses has such enmity to someone on the other side. Even small flickers like Mark Teixeira Trolling Hansel Robles in 2016 only matter so much.
Perhaps for the first time it is thought, Yankees fans are particularly motivated to see the Mets fail. Little Bro stole his favorite toy, after all. Would you be angry? That was a great Power Ranger! They came equipped with a strange shield and everything!
The circumstances behind the strong openings of the two teams are also fascinating. For Mets, Soto has been good, but not electric. One of its advantages is that relatively slow stretching are productive, so, although it could be listening .255 with the second lowest percentage of his career, his annoyance in the Strike area means that Hete still has a .380 based on base and a .380 based on base. That we all sink like this.
Another low season firm has better leg for Mets. Pete Alonso was hoping of a nine -digit agreement after arriving at the free agency, but the market returned his rope in the first base man. He had to settle for a one -year contract and $ 30 million with a player option for 2026 that the injury that will almost surely be torn. Alonso is heating .311/.421/.584 with 187 OPS+, numbers that would overcome their rookie season in 2019.
Add another great presentation of the 2024 NL MVP finalist Francisco Lindor, an effectiveness of 1.22 senior by Kodai Senga, and a team of pitchers that has been nothing less than spectacular so far, and you have a club that has no problems and you have no problems overcoming the Braves and Phillies (the last two champions of the division). It doesn’t matter that beginner launchers Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill can walk through Grand Central in Mets Jerseys and not be recognized, they have been excellent. In addition, the METS’s decision to sign the displaced Yankees closer to Clay Holmes and turn it into the rotation has already paid dividends with nine strong beginnings.
As for the Yanks 25-18, his career towards the top of the east of Al has been carried by him, he guessed it, a certain Judge. The best batter in baseball is to play with its food and somehow overcome its two MVP seasons with a scandalous batting line .412/.497/.782, leading the largest with 15 homers and 264 OPS+. It is one of the most popular beginnings through 40 games in the history of MLB. It is frankly Caricaturesco.
The Yankees have found success with some movements that emerged from their posterior pivot as Soto as well. The former Leftyty Max Fried de los Bravos became his addition of the upper free agent, and has rewarded them with the best effectiveness of 1.11 of the League and 56.2 entries through nine openings. His leadership as staff has been essential with Gerrit Cole for the season in March with Tommy John’s surgery.
Beyond Fried, the Yankees collected the seven-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt in a one-year contract for the first base of the man. The 37 -year -old man has retreated the clock at the beginning with A.346/.395/.506, 154 OPS+. The second old MVP of the National League they acquired, Cody Bellinger, has only been adequate, Stanton has not yet played a game due to elbow injuries, and the twice reliever of the NL of the year Devin Williams has been the new closing. On the other hand, the hero of the Bullpen of Playoffs 2024, Luke Weaver, has not lost a rhythm of return to his old role after Williams’s struggles, and the second year player Ben Rice has made a very good stanton impression, filling a filament.
The most fun of everything has a leg that forgot the second gardener acquired in the original December 2023 that took Soto to New York first. Trent Grisham began 2024 in a depression and was underutilized equally with opener Alex Verdugo falling by a cliff in the second half. Verdugo then had a miserable .622 OPS in the postseason, but Grisham still did not enter a single playoff game. The Yankees adhered to Verdugo in the free agency and entered 2025 with the intention of their primary field alignment to present Judge, Bellinger and the rookie Jasson Domínguez.
However, given some occasional beginnings in the central garden, Grisham has taken advantage of his opportunities and almost obliged to the Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, will also give him a regular game time. Its .283/.367/.628 Triple bar with a 176 OPS+ exceeds the numbers of the current Mets of Sotos, and occupies the third place in the Al Homers with 12, despite only 113 shifts to the bat. Grisham has already deactivated more committees than in 2024 and is also a shy of the total executioner last season. Was Trent Grisham’s trade really all the time?
So, there are the traditional rights of bluffing throughout the city in the line of the Metro series. But with all Hubbub around Sotos moves through the city and the heat of these two teams begins at 2025, it should be an incredible weekend or baseball in the Bronx.
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