It’s time to preview what the Yankees and Mets will face this week, as both teams will have off on Monday before resuming the May schedule.
The Yankees put up quite a week going 6-1 against the Blue Jays and Reds combined, and Aaron Judge is staking his claim to win back-to-back American League MVP awards. The Judge homered 7 times over a 7-game span before busting out a 4 for 4 on Saturday against the Reds which earned him Sunday off.
The Mets finished the week playing a doubleheader against the Guardians on Sunday, and both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander took the mound for the twin bill to wrap up last week.
Let’s see what each team has in store for the week ahead!
How the Yankees Week Ahead Shapes Up
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Tuesday 5/23 – Thursday 5/25 vs Baltimore Orioles
Friday 5/26 – Sunday 5/28 vs San Diego Padres
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Will the real Yankees’ closer please stand up? The Yanks got a save from Ryan Weber on Saturday against the Reds, and he is now the 7th reliever to pick up a save for the team. Easily the most in baseball, the Yankees’ closing situation is a revolving door of relievers who have combined to make 7 saves.
Aroldis Chapman is now with Kansas City, and in case you missed his 103.8 MLB fastball against San Diego the other day, you can ask Jake Cronenworth what it feels like to watch it go by. Croneworth was dismissed from the plate window shopping at a fastball that whizzed by him and his post-game comments were hysterical. Anyway, that’s not a story for the Yankees to enjoy anymore so let’s move on.
Aaron Boone has yet to officially name a closer, and the good ole adage bullpen by committee is in full effect. The next guy in line is the next guy who could be in a position to close a game and Boone is just fine with that until it proves to be a liability. It is not too often that a manager will let his entire staff be available at a moment’s notice but it is working for now so why mess with it?
Since Aaron Judge returned from the injury list, he has found his stroke despite it taking a few games to get in game shape. After homering 7 times over a 7-game span, Judge broke out for a 4 for 4 day on Saturday that included 3 RBI and a pair of doubles to help the Yanks take game 2 of the 3-game set against Cincinnati. Judge was given Sunday off to rest which will give hm two days because Monday is an off-day as well.
Successful road trip in the books ✅ pic.twitter.com/gx5FHvNqWw
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 21, 2023
There are some underlying concerns within the team because of injuries and a recent suspension that was handed out to a Yankee starter. Domingo German pitched 3 innings in the 6 – 3 win over Toronto this past week, but he was pulled from the game after the umpire accused him of using a foreign substance and he was handed a 10-day suspension. Mets fans know all about this kind of incident after Scherzer just faced a similar situation just a few weeks ago.
Aaron Hicks? BUH-BYE!! FINALLY! The Yankees finally cut ties with Hicks who is simply an underachiever with not enough talent to have a job in the Major Leagues. I mentioned as much two weeks ago and Aaron Boone finally decided to listen to the fans who have had enough of him.
All-Star catcher Jose Trevino is also on the injury list now after his left hamstring gave way, so he is now down for at least the next 10 days. It is being said that he will likely need a longer stay in the IL, but time will always tell that story.
How the Mets Week Ahead Shapes Up
Tuesday 5/23 – Thursday 5/25 @ Chicago Cubs
Friday 5/26 – Sunday 5/28 @ Colorado Rockies
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The Mets will hit the road this week for 6 games, as they’ll play a 3-game set in Chicago to face the Cubs before moving on to Denver to face the Rockies for 3 games. The Cubs are in a heavy funk having lost 13 of their last 18 games entering this week, so that will likely give the Mets a good chance to start the week in good form.
The Rockies’ starting pitching is in a heavier funk when it comes to their 6.37 ERA at home this season, all of which points to a successful week for the Mets. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander pitched both games of the doubleheader on Sunday so that will give them each one start later in the week against Colorado.
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Scherzer pitched an outstanding 6 innings in game 1 of the doubleheader on Sunday against Cleveland but it all went for naught as the bullpen blew a 3 – 0 lead in the top of the 8th inning. Starling Marte saved the Mets’ bacon by slamming a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning to give them the lead, and they held on to win Game 1 of the DH, 5 – 4.
Never say die! #MetsWin #LGM pic.twitter.com/iHuI6BdCF4
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 21, 2023
As many Yankee fans will remember, the Mets picked up Gary Sanchez this past week and he made his debut with the team on May 19. Sanchez started this season with the San Francisco Giants AAA team but he opted out of his contract and became a free agent after being told he would not likely be called up anytime soon.
The Mets’ offense has certainly gained some strength after two weeks of ineptitude, and that should give the starting rotation some ease that one mistake could cost them a win. With an average of 4.51 runs per game, the Mets are up to 15th in the rankings and the pitching they will face this week should increase that number some more.
Mets and Yankees Expectations This Week
After losing the first two games of the week, the Mets finished up with a positive week of results. As did the Yankees, both teams had success, and the way the schedule shapes up it could be a good week for both organizations.
I totally blew my call on the Yankees struggling last week although the injuries are really starting to mount up for the Bombers. On top of the suspension to German, the Yankees IL reads like a book so we will see if that will start to take any toll on the future.
The Mets were full of comebacks and exciting finishes this past week, as a pair of walk-offs on Friday and Saturday completed games in which the Mets were trailing late in the game. Those are big momentum builders and the Mets have that to carry into this week.
I expect both teams to have a good bit of success this week, as the Yankees have a favorable home schedule while the Mets hit the road against weak opponents.
While each team has Monday off, I will call for no less than a 4 – 2 week for both the Mets and Yanks.
