The New York Mets made history after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 on Sunday, becoming the first team in MLB to record 20 wins this season. Following suit were the New York Yankees on Monday.
The New York rivals are heading on the correct trajectory this season. The Mets are at a great pitching advantage despite not having star pitcher Jacob deGrom. The player sustained an arm injury that could render him unavailable for the next two months.
The Yankees have also been stellar this season, regardless of the slow start from infielder Aaron Judge and pitcher Gerrit Cole. Both teams are No. 1 in their standings.
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Mets aiming for more
Fox Sports MLB analyst Ben Verlander ranked the Mets in the third position behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Yankees. Verlander’s top three teams are in different leagues of their own but have one thing in common. Each claimed No. 1 in their respective standings, from the Dodgers that lead in the NL West, the Yankees in the AL East, to two-time World Series champions Mets with their impressive feats in the NL East.
The Mets conceded only 10 defeats. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso revealed the team was eyeing a bigger prize, to claim the division title.
“Hell yeah. That’s great, but we want to win the division,” Alonso said after the franchise racked their 20th win. “For us, we had a great start. We ran the bases well, hit well, and our pitching staff—whether it be starters or bullpen—we played such great team baseball. Everyone’s answered the bell, and everyone’s doing an incredible job and working incredibly well. And it’s so fun to play with these guys, and that’s what we want to do.”
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The Mets have two of its main players returned, namely Alonso and shortstop Francisco Lindor. The team’s locker room is now also filled with new faces with the addition of new two pitchers, pulled straight from blockbuster trades, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt. However, the franchise is still missing deGrom to complete the puzzle.
Regardless, Mets manager Buck Showalter praised his players for their success early this season.
“Good players with good makeup,” Showalter said. “It’s just something our guys take each day and stay in the moment.”
Yankees leading standings
The Yankees, a crosstown rival of Showalter and his men, made an outstanding play this season. The Yankees made 11 consecutive win streaks, a 20-8 win-loss record, and the highest win rate of .714 in the American League.
The franchise made their 20th win when pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. walked out four and struck out 11 of the Texas Rangers. Cortes only allowed a single hit and zero runs. The Yankees came out as the victor over the Rangers by 1-0.
“I was gonna let him go until he gave it up. Unless he started to walk a lot of guys and it got out of hand,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters after the game.
