The Subway Series kicks off at 7:05 p.m. Friday, May 16. The Mets and Yankees have been meeting in the regular season since interleague play began in 1997—usually playing two three-game series. In 2000, they even met in the World Series where the Yankees went on to beat the Mets four games to one.
The Subway Series is a cross-town rivalry, sure, but it’s also pure fun. For us in New Jersey and New York, it’s about banter. “My team is better than yours!” Which, of course, matters very little since the teams play in opposite leagues.
Still, the rivalry between Mets fans and Yankees fans is alive and well. This year, both teams are among the best in baseball, which should make for an interesting series.
Yankees fans hope slugger Aaron Judge can lead them toward a course correction, considering the last several Subway Series have been completely owned by the Mets who have bested the Yanks 12 games to 6 since 2021. The Mets offense has been similarly effective, but it’s their pitching that has been hard to top—holding the lowest team ERA in the MLB.
On May 16, the two teams will meet for the first time this season at Yankee Stadium for a three-game series. This will also mark Juan Soto’s return to Yankee Stadium where he helped lead the Yanks to the World Series just last year before signing with the Mets in the offseason. The teams will meet again on July 4 for a three-game series at Citi Field.
Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s matchups:
Subway Series Pitching Matchups and Players to Watch
Game 1: Tylor Megill vs. Carlos Rodón
Friday, May 16, 7:05 p.m.
In Game 1, Carlos Rodón squares off against Tylor Megill. Rodón bests Megill in nearly every pitching category except for walks, ERA and ERA+ where Megill takes a slight advantage. Rodón’s high strikeout percentage, lower walk rate and higher innings pitched gives him a 1.2 WAR (wins above replacement) for the season. A high mark compared to Megill’s 0.4 WAR.
Still, Megill has been effective for the Mets, but prone to the home run, which is not something Mets fans want to see against slugger Aaron Judge in a hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge is off to a monstrous start to the year, batting a remarkable .412 with 15 home runs, 41 RBIs and a stupendous 1.279 OPS. Keep an eye out for Trent Grisham also—who has hit a smooth .283 with 12 homers so far this year.
If The Mets offense can get to Rodón early, then they have a good shot at taking Game 1 due to their lights-out bullpen. Mets slugger Pete Alonso should be a fierce matchup for the lefty. Alonso has hit .303 with a pair of home runs against left-handed pitching this season. Juan Soto has been effective against lefties too, batting an impressive .352 in 45 appearances against southpaws this year. Will Soto’s return to Yankee Stadium come with a bang? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Game 2: Griffin Canning vs. Clarke Schmidt
Saturday, May 17, 1:05 p.m.
The Mets are favored for Game 2 thanks to Griffin Canning’s stellar start to the season. The Mets picked up Griffin Canning prior to the season to many fans’ confusion. The former Angel has been a pretty mediocre pitcher during his six-year career, but he has quickly proven the naysayers wrong.
The righty has pitched a smooth 2.36 ERA with a 24.1 strikeout percentage in eight games this season—a strong improvement from last year. My advice to Canning: don’t throw any strikes to Judge. Canning should also be careful around veteran Paul Goldschmidt, who is showing flashes of the 2022 MVP Goldschmidt with a .346 average and .902 OPS.
Starting for the Yanks is Clarke Schmidt who has had a lackluster season thus far—pitching to an unimpressive 4.73 ERA in five starts. However, his last two starts have seen an improvement. Schmidt must pitch carefully around the obvious dangers of Lindor, Alonso and Soto, but he should keep an eye out for Brett Baty too. The lefty is on a tear since his return from AAA—where he was sent after a miserable start to the season. Has he finally found his groove?
Game 3: David Peterson vs. Max Fried
Sunday, May 18, 7:10 p.m.
David Peterson is on the bump for the Mets. He has had a good season so far. Nothing spectacular, but a 3.05 ERA is nothing to scoff at either. However, this is Max Fried’s game to lose. The Yankees ace has been spectacular in Gerrit Cole’s absence.
Fried’s 1.11 ERA, 6-0 record and 52 strikeouts is the statistical highlight of the pitching matchups for this first Subway Series. His dominance so far has proven that he might just be born to wear the pinstripes. The Mets offense has been good this season, but slowing down as of late. If Fried can keep the ball away from the barrels of Soto, Lindor and Alonso, then he should have an easy win in the bag.
On the other side, the challenge for Peterson is simple. The southpaw must pitch carefully around Aaron Judge, who destroys left-handed pitching. The slugger has bested lefties with a nearly .500 avg and six homers. Keep an eye on Cody Bellinger, who has been heating up after a slow start. The traditional lefty-on-lefty pitching advantage doesn’t really play here either considering Bellinger has fared better against lefties this year.
The Mets best bet is to get to Fried early and to maintain a lead—you do not want to face bullpen arm Luke Weaver without a lead. The flamethrower has only given up one run all season. Similarly, the Mets bullpen has been good… 2.68 ERA good. Despite injuries that have knocked some relievers off of the roster, the Mets still hold the edge in bullpen matchup.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
