The 2024 Major League Baseball season starts at the end of the month. All 30 teams start with the same enthusiasm to win the World Series and lift the Commissioner’s Trophy. In 2023, the Texas Rangers won the entire season. Could the New York Yankees or the New York Mets return the prize to the Big Apple this year?
Can the Yankees Return to the Big Time?
For many people, the New York Yankees define baseball. Some people recognize the famous N and Y team logo as a clothing brand, not a sports team. That os the enormity of the team, and they branch way beyond baseball followers. Why is that? Well, it is built on success. The New York Yankees are the all-time most successful World Series Championship winners, having won it 27 times.
That success, however, has become more of a footnote in MLB history. The Yankees have not won the World Series since 2009, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 under Joe Girardi’s management. Unfortunately, Hideki Matsui, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera have all long since retired as the team has struggled to compete at the top end of the MLB.
The 2023 season was somewhat of a backward step for the franchise. The team slumped to fourth position in the American League East standings, meaning there was no playoff campaign for the Yankees. Ultimately, the team’s overall 0.506 win percentage was too poor to qualify for the endgame, winning just 82 games and losing 80 across the season.
The franchise’s upper management is putting their faith in Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone, allowing them to show what they can do in 2024. The significant transaction for the Yankees is that Marcus Stroman will join the team from the Chicago Cubs on a very lucrative contract. The two-time All-Star and Golden Glove winner must take up many pitching duties at Yankee Stadium. Could he be the difference between the team making the playoffs and not this season?
Does Former Gold Glover Help the Mets?
If you think the New York Yankees have had to wait long for a championship, spare a thought for the New York Mets. The orange and blue-clad team have had much less success, with only two World Series Championships, with the last one coming back in 1986, a distant memory for most contemporary Mets supporters.
In 2023, the Mets finished fourth in the National League East with a negative winning percentage of 0.463 for the season. This ensured that they didn’t trouble the playoff picture, as they struggled to win games. Given the tragic results, the franchise’s upper management decided to fire the manager, Buck Showalter. He has now been replaced for the 2024 season by Carlos Mendoza.
Is there any significance in Mendoza joining the Mets? Well, yes. He is crossing enemy lines, having spent five years as a coach with the New York Yankees. While baseball fans are not the most vindictive, a few ardent fans are not pleased with him hopping to another team in New York.
One of the other most significant personnel changes is the decision to bring in Harrison Bader, a player who has previously won the Golden Glove accolade. Much like Mendoza, Bader spent a decent chunk of time with the New York Yankees before ending up on the Mets roster. Bader is an upgrade to the franchise’s centre-fielding options, while Mendoza is an unknown quantity as a coach. If the Mets improve or even bring the World Series back to New York, these ex-Yankees will have some credit for it!
Does Either of the New York Teams Measure Up?
While the New York teams are both proud teams with rich histories, even with their new additions, it could be hard for both to pose a realistic threat to the World Series Championship. Neither Big Apple franchise has the quality to match the Atlanta Braves, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will likely be amongst the top teams again—having won 100+ games each last season. It is also worth noting that although sports betting is a gray area in the state, the sites that offer legal offshore alternatives to betting are not viewing either team with much hope either.
Given that the Yankees have brought in the fantastic Marcus Stroman, they arguably have a better chance of advancing to the playoff picture. In addition, the New York Mets have a disadvantage in that they must play two of their games in the faraway destination of London, England, which will add additional stress to their travel plans and overall schedule.
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Featured image credit: DepositPhotos.com
