rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between New York City's
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) teams: the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
and the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. The Mets are a member club of MLB's
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
(NL)
East
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
division, and the Yankees are a member club of MLB's
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
(AL)
East
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
division. It is the latest in the Subway Series of rivalries between New York-based teams.
Until interleague play started, the two teams had only met in exhibition games. Since the inception of interleague play, the two teams have played each other in every regular season since 1997. From 1999 through 2012, they have played six games per season: two three-game series (one series in each team's ballpark). In 2013-2022, the two teams met six games a season; when the AL East and NL East faced each other and four games (two at each park) the other years. In 2023 all MLB teams started facing each other; they played four games each in 2023 and 2024 and will play six games in 2025. Both clubs have qualified for the postseason in the same season on six occasions: , , , , , and ; the two teams faced off in the 2000 World Series. Analysts of the game have commented that the rivalry is the best reason for interleague play.
1962–96: Formation of the Mets, Mayor's Trophy and pre-interleague era
Background and formation of Mets
The Mets–Yankees rivalry has its origins in the histories of the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
,
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
teams of New York City from 1903 to 1957. For most of that time, the Giants played in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, the Dodgers in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, and the Yankees in
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
.
Throughout their time in New York, the three teams chronicled a fierce intra-city rivalry. The Dodgers–Giants rivalry was formed by both teams' competition for dominance in the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
1951 National League tie-breaker series
The 1951 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series that extended Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1951 regular season to decide the winner of the National League (NL) pennant. The games were played on October 1, 2, and ...
. The Yankees, as the city's only
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
.
However, in , both of New York's National League teams moved to
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, the Giants to
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
to become the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, and the Dodgers to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
to become the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. The Yankees were New York City's only Major League Baseball team until from 1958-, when the expansion Mets joined the National League. The Mets sought to create a fan base from fans of the departed National League teams, and adopted the Giants' NY insignia in the Giant color of orange set against a cap of Dodger blue, colors that also adorn the New York City flag and coat of arms. The Mets played their first two seasons in the Giants' old stadium, the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
, before moving into
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
.
Mayor's Trophy
Before the creation of interleague play, teams from the National League never played teams from the American League in official games except during the World Series. The teams occasionally met in spring training exhibition games and played 19 times in the Mayor's Trophy Game, an in-season exhibition game, every year from 1963 through 1979, and then again in 1982 and 1983; the Yankees posted a record of 10–8–1 over the Mets in the Mayor's Trophy contests.
The Mayor's Trophy games were played primarily to benefit sandlot baseball in the city, with proceeds going to the city's Amateur Baseball Federation. After dwindling interest and public bickering between the owners of both teams, the Mayor's Trophy Game was discontinued following the 1983 season. It was revived again as a pre-
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
series titled the "Mayor's Challenge" and held in 1989.
1997–1999: Interleague regular season play begins
1997–1998: First official games
In , Major League Baseball scheduled official regular season games between the American and National Leagues for the first time. On June 16, the Mets and Yankees played their first official game at Yankee Stadium, which the Mets won 6–0 behind Dave Mlicki. The Yankees won the next two games for a series win. The Mets acquired Mike Piazza for the 1998 season and made a run for the playoffs but were eliminated in the last regular game series of the season by the Atlanta Braves. The Yankees won that year's interleague series at Shea Stadium two games to one and would also win the
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season. The 94th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the National ...
, the first of three straight titles for them. David Cone won 20 games in 1998 for the Yankees, 10 years after he accomplished the same feat for the Mets, becoming the only player to win 20 games for both teams.
These interleague games between the Mets and Yankees would come to be referred to as a Subway Series, extending the use of that phrase outside the historical context of an all-New York World Series.
1999: Both teams reach the playoffs
In 1999, Major League Baseball expanded Interleague play, allowing the Mets and Yankees to host a series at their home stadiums. At Shea, the Mets won their first series against the Yankees, 2 games to 1, though the regular season series was tied by virtue of a Yankees series win (2–1) at Yankee Stadium earlier that year. That year marked the first time both teams reached the playoffs in the same season, though the Mets needed an extra game for their first playoff appearance since losing the 1988 National League Championship Series.
Both the Mets and Yankees reached their respective League Championship Series and played their respective rivals. The Mets were defeated by their division rival
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
During the regular season on July 8, 2000, the Yankees defeated the Mets by identical 4–2 scores in both ends of an unusual day-night doubleheader. With the first game played at
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
, it was the first time since that two teams played two games in different stadiums on the same day. Dwight Gooden won the first game with a six inning effort in his first start since returning to the Yankees. Roger Clemens won the nightcap.Mets-Yankees season series recap at sportsillustrated.cnn.com, URL accessed January 1, 2011 Archived 01-01-11 However, in the second game of that double header, an event occurred that made the rivalry between the two teams more contentious. Clemens hit Mets' star Mike Piazza in the helmet with an inside fastball, causing Piazza to suffer a
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
and placing him on the disabled list.Interleague Play Memorable Moments (Photo 3 of 8) at sportsillustrated.cnn.com, URL accessed January 1, 2011 01-01-2011
The Mets and Yankees returned to the playoffs that year and won their respective pennants, meeting in the 2000 World Series for their first championship contest. It was the Yankees' fourth appearance in five years and the Mets' first appearance since winning the title in . It was the first Subway Series World Series since . Game 1 went to extra innings in what was then the longest World Series game of all time, with the Yankees winning on a walk-off hit by former Met José Vizcaíno.
Controversy ensued in Game 2 when Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens faced Mets catcher Mike Piazza for the first time since the hit-by-pitch earlier that season. In the match-up, Piazza shattered his bat after fouling off one of Clemens' pitches, and the splintered bat head hurtled towards the mound. Clemens threw the bat head towards the baseline and nearly hit Piazza who had been running down the foul line. The incident caused both benches to clear. The Yankees won the game 6–5.
The Mets won Game 3, snapping the Yankees' fourteen-game winning streak in World Series play dating back to 1996 and Yankees hurler Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez's previously undefeated postseason record (6–0). However, this would prove to be the only high point for the Mets.
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...
hit a home run on the first pitch of Game 4, immediately shifting momentum back to the Yankees who would win the game. Footage of this home run currently serves as the background for the title screen of YES Network's " Yankeeography" series. Despite no game in the series being decided by more than two runs, the Yankees would only require five games to beat the Mets. Al Leiter, a former Yankees prospect, would take the mound for the Mets in Game 5 and lose. The Yankees clinched their third straight World Series championship when Mariano Rivera got Mike Piazza to fly out for the final out of Game 5.
World Series MVP
The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The a ...
Derek Jeter said of the Mets: "In my opinion, the Mets were the toughest team we have played in my five years here. Every one of these games could have gone either way. They could have given up after osingthe first two games, but they never quit. You can't say enough about the New York Mets."
This World Series win brought a sense of revenge for Roger Clemens, because he won the World Series in the same stadium; he had previously lost it in while with the Red Sox. Members of the Mets' 1986 team threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the clinching game.
The 12.4 television rating and 21 share of the 2000 World Series was the worst in history when it was played. For the Mets, the 12.4 rating was less than half of what they were when during their previous appearance, when Game 7 drew a 38.9 rating and 55 share.
2001–2008: The rivalry continues in the 21st century
The 2000 championship was the Yankees' last title until their 2009 World Series win. Since their appearance in 2000, the Mets would have several losing seasons until the emergence of
David Wright
David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 Major League Baseball dr ...
and José Reyes.
In , there was a moment of peace in the rivalry in the aftermath of the attacks in New York City. During the weekend of September 21–23,
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
while
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
hosted a special memorial service titled "Prayer for America."
On June 15, , Roger Clemens faced the Mets for the first time at Shea Stadium since the Piazza controversy. Anticipation mounted about retaliation against Clemens. Mets manager
Bobby Valentine
Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), nicknamed "Bobby V", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He also served as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (19 ...
chided Clemens by saying he wore a "skirt" when compared to past pitchers who threw hard at people like
Bob Gibson
Robert Gibson (November 9, 1935October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competi ...
and Don Drysdale because Clemens did not have to bat in the American League. When the game arrived, Clemens was forced to bat and Mets pitcher
Shawn Estes
Aaron Shawn Estes (born February 18, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Colo ...
attempted to hit Clemens in retaliation but instead threw a pitch behind Clemens, prompting the home plate umpire to warn both benches. Estes later homered off of Clemens as the Mets won the game 8–0.
In , the Yankees become the first team to sweep the season series, winning all six games, including a two-park day-night doubleheader. In , however, the Mets won the season series for the first time, going 4–2 and sweeping the three games at
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Willie Randolph
William Larry Randolph (born July 6, 1954) is an American former professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager. During an 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played from 1975 to 1992 for six different teams, most notabl ...
, who coached with the Yankees for over a decade. Randolph played much of his career with the Yankees and also played for the Mets before retiring as a player. Because of his history with the Yankees championship teams of the 70s (as a player) and the 90s (as a coach), he holds a very cordial relationship with Yankees fans despite his tenure with the Mets organization, as noted by a Subway (a pun on the restaurant's name and the Subway Series) commercial featuring him and former Yankees manager
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre Jr. (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball Senior management, executive and former player, Manager (baseball), manager, and television color commentator. He has served as a special assistant to the Commiss ...
, who had managed the Yankees during their most recent dynastic run. Torre had also been associated with the Mets as they were the last team he ever played for and the first team he ever managed. On August 2, 2008, less than two months after his abrupt and controversial dismissal as Mets manager, Randolph was greeted with a standing ovation by the Yankee Stadium crowd when he appeared in a Yankees uniform for the
Old-Timers' Game
Old-Timers' Day (or Old-Timers' Game) refers to a tradition in Major League Baseball where a team devotes the early afternoon preceding a weekend game to honor retired players who played for the organization during their careers. The retired play ...
.
On June 26, 2005, the Mets won their first series at Yankee Stadium and were three outs from a sweep when
Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi (; born January 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. In his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, which began in 1995, Giambi played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yank ...
's bases-loaded single off of Braden Looper in the ninth drove home the tying and winning runs for the Yankees, who forced a season series split with the Mets.
On May 19, 2006, in the first Subway Series of that year at Shea, the Yankees took the lead three times in the first four innings, but the Mets rallied each time against
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed, "the Big Unit," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizo ...
and the game was tied 6–6 going into the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and runners on first and second, David Wright drove home the winning run for the Mets with a single off of Yankees' closer
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and " ...
.
On May 20, 2006, less than 24 hours after the Mets' comeback win,
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to , for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from to .
As of 2023, M ...
and Duaner Sánchez kept the Yankees scoreless for eight innings while the Mets scored four runs off of Mike Mussina. In the top of the ninth, however, closer Billy Wagner, who pitched a perfect ninth the night before to get the win, gave up four runs to tie the game and force extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Andy Phillips singled in the go-ahead run for the Yankees while Mariano Rivera pitched two shutout innings for the win.
History would be made at the
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-star game, all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL), the two leagues co ...
when two positions on both teams are manned by players from teams of the same city.
David Wright
David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 Major League Baseball dr ...
and José Reyes started at third base and shortstop respectively for the National League while
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, third baseman and designated hitter and current businessman. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (ML ...
and
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...
started at the same respective positions for the American League. Both teams in finished at the top of their division in the same season for the first time in history. For the Yankees, this was their ninth straight division title, while the Mets won their first division title since 1988. Despite sharing baseball's best regular season record (97–65), they would have disappointing postseasons as both lost en route to the two teams that eventually met in that year's
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
, the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
and
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
.
The teams' inverse success relationship was highlighted in . On May 29, the Yankees were tied for last place and 14.5 games back of the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
while the Mets were in first place ahead of the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
by four games, with the lead being as high as seven in mid-September. A late season meltdown led to the Mets being eliminated from playoff contention, losing the NL East title to the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
on the last day of the season. On the other hand, the Yankees, though unable to finish first in the AL East for the first time since 1997, rebounded from their losing ways and clinched their 13th consecutive playoff berth.
In an article written in the ''
New York Daily News
The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'' on March 25, 2008, Alex Rodriguez said how he regretted signing with the Texas Rangers (the team the Yankees acquired him from) in the first place and wished he had signed with the Mets rather than Texas. Rodriguez grew up a Mets fan and of former Mets first baseman turned announcer
Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez (born October 20, 1953) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Cleveland Indians. Hernandez was a five-time Major League ...
. Rodriguez stated how he listened to his agent Scott Boras about taking more money instead and did not want to make the same mistake of not being on a team he liked playing for by leaving the Yankees.
On June 27 of that year, in the first game of a two-stadium, day-night doubleheader against the Yankees, Carlos Delgado had 9 RBIs (including a grand slam) in a 15–6 victory for the Mets, setting a team record for most RBIs in a single game and tying the record for most RBIs in a single game by a visiting player at
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
. For just the second time, the Mets won the season series against the Yankees, 4–2, including the Mets' only sweep at the old Yankee Stadium.
The 2008 season marked the first time since 1993 that both the Yankees and Mets failed to qualify for postseason, the first time for the Yankees since that year and the second straight year where the Mets were eliminated on the last day of the season. It was also the last year both teams played at their old respective ballparks,
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
and
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seas ...
, who played for both teams and managed both teams, was present at the closing ceremonies of both stadiums. Both teams finished with the same record (89–73) that year.
2009–2019: New stadiums
The season was the first year that both teams played in their new stadiums, Mets at
Citi Field
Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...
and the Yankees at the new
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
. The Yankees took it one step further and opened their new stadium with their 27th World Series championship against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
, the defending champions, becoming the first team to inaugurate two stadiums with World Series wins. However, this is the most recent World Series championship by a team from New York City.
On June 12, 2009, both teams played each other for the first time at the new Yankee Stadium. The game had several lead changes, including
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and " ...
giving up the go-ahead run to the Mets in the 8th. In the bottom of the 9th, after Derek Jeter stole 2nd base and Mark Teixeira was intentionally walked, the Mets new closer Francisco Rodríguez (K-Rod) paired off against Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod). In what seemed to be a routine pop with two outs, Mets 2nd baseman and three time
Gold Glove
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fieldin ...
-award winner Luis Castillo dropped the ball. Teixeira wound up scoring the winning run all the way from first on the error, giving the Yankees a 9–8 victory. It would prove to be the Yankees' 7th walk off game that season and the first statistical blown save for K-Rod as a Met. After the game, injured Yankees pitcher Brian Bruney criticized K-Rod and his animated behavior on the mound to reporters: " tcouldn't have happened to a better guy on the mound, either", said Bruney. "He's got a tired act. ... He gets what he deserves, man. I just don't like watching the guy pitch. I think it's embarrassing." Rodriguez responded, "Instead of sending a message in the paper, next time when he sees me at
Citi Field
Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...
, come up to me and say it. Don't be sending a message to the media. I don't even know who that guy is, somewhere in Double-A and not even pitching one full season." Two days later, Francisco Rodriguez confronted Bruney during batting practice and the two were separated by teammates. The Yankees shut out the Mets 15–0 in the biggest blowout in the history of the series, tagging Mets ace Johan Santana for nine runs in innings, the most Santana has ever allowed in his career.
On June 26, 2009, the two teams played each other for the first time at Citi Field. Alex Rodriguez hit his 564th home run, moving past
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cal ...
into 11th place on the career home run list. The Yankees defeated the Mets 9–1 after the Mets committed three errors that led to four runs in the second inning - the most ever against the Yankees. Two days after that, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who entered the game to face a batter in the 8th inning, batted against Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez at the top of the 9th inning. Rivera drew a walk with the bases loaded, forcing home Brett Gardner to earn his first career RBI. Rivera would go on to finish the game and earn his 500th career save, as the Yankees swept the series at Citi Field.
May 22, 2010 had the Mets win their first Subway Series game at Citi Field with a 5–3 victory over the Yankees. Countering that, on June 20, 2010, the Yankees earned their 9,500th franchise victory with a 4–0 win over the Mets. Mark Teixeira provided the only runs of the game with a third-inning grand slam off of Johan Santana.
2011 started off with a trade between the two teams. On January 3, the Yankees signed left-handed relief pitcher Pedro Feliciano away from the Mets. Under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement of the time, the Yankees had to compensate the Mets with a draft pick. The Mets would use this draft pick to get pitcher Michael Fulmer. Feliciano would immediately go on the disabled list for the Yankees due to his overuse by the Mets during his career. Setbacks in surgery would prevent him from ever throwing a pitch for the Yankees during the entirety of the two-year contract. During the July 3rd game between the two teams, the Mets, down to their final strike and on the verge of getting swept at Citi Field by the Yankees for the second time in three years, tied the final game of that year's Subway Series against
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and " ...
in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from Ronny Paulino. In 23 previous save opportunities against the Mets, spanning the regular season and the 2000 World Series, Rivera had converted 22 (his only previous blown save against the team was on July 10, 1999). The Mets would win in the 10th inning on an RBI single from Jason Bay, who had been struggling all season, off of Héctor Noesí, though the loss was charged to former Mets pitcher Luis Ayala. Manager Terry Collins called the game "enormous." The Yankees still won the season series 4 games to 2. On July 12, 2011, days after gaining entry into the
3,000 hit club
The 3,000-hit club is the group of 33 batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Reaching 3,000 hits has been "long considered the greatest measure of superior bat handling" and ...
, Yankees shortstop
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...
elected to sit out of the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game citing "physical and emotional exhaustion" and recovery from a recent visit to the disabled list. Jeter, who throughout his career had been praised by people in and out of baseball for good behavior, was criticized by some players and officials including Mets outfielder Carlos Beltrán. Beltrán stated that "I do believe, as a ballplayer, if you have no injuries, you should be here...the fans are the ones that vote for you and want to see you here." Mets shortstop José Reyes, who also was injured, also opined on the incident saying "I want to come no matter what happens."
The two teams met again in June 2012. On June 8, after pitching the first no-hitter in Mets history in his previous start, Johan Santana gave up a career-worst four home runs to the Yankees in the first Subway Series game of the year as the Mets, who were held hitless by Hiroki Kuroda until the sixth, lost 9–1. Two days later, after Rafael Soriano blew his first save of the year by surrendering an RBI double to
Ike Davis
Isaac Benjamin Davis (born March 22, 1987) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. From 2010 through 2016, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, and New York Ya ...
in the top of the ninth, Russell Martin hit a home run in the bottom of the inning off of Jon Rauch to give the Yankees a 5–4 win and first-ever sweep of the Mets at the new Yankee Stadium. On June 22, one day before first pitch between the two teams at Citi Field, Mets closer Frank Francisco taunted the Yankees by calling them chicken. Francisco's teammates greeted him in the Mets club house the next day with the
Chicken Dance
The "Chicken Dance", also known and recorded as Der Ententanz, Tchip Tchip, Vogerltanz, the Bird Song, the Chicken Song, the Birdie Song, the Bird Dance, Danse des Canards, the Duck Dance, El Baile de los Pajaritos, O Baile dos Passarinhos, Il B ...
and put up a picture of Derek Jeter's head on the body of a chicken. "I can't wait to strike out those chickens, I want to strike out the side against them. I've done it before." Francisco would later go on to say "I make a simple comment, just that they complain a lot—for every call, for everything, I thought it was funny. I didn't expect to make a big deal." Although he would not strike out the side and allowed two base runners, Francisco did notch the save in the first game of the series before going on the disabled list. Mets reliever Tim Byrdak would go as far to bring a live chicken into the clubhouse and named it "Little
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...
" in honor of a ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...
'' episode. The chicken was used as an unofficial mascot and was donated to an animal farm sanctuary in upstate New York a few days later. Francisco later admitted that he himself raised chickens and is an expert about them. Despite the Mets winning the opener, the Yankees wound up winning the next two games, including halting Mets pitcher R. A. Dickey's scoreless inning streak of innings to win the series. Yankees outfielder
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson Swisher (born November 25, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a switch hitter who threw left-handed, and played for the Oakland Athletics, Chica ...
playfully quipped at the end of the series "Who's chicken now?"
For the first time ever on
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
, both teams played their first game in New York on April 1, 2013.
In his last regular-season game ever at Citi Field on May 28, Mariano Rivera was honored by Mets owner Jeff Wilpon and threw out the first pitch of the game to former Mets closer
John Franco
John Anthony Franco (born September 17, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed relief pitcher between and . Franco established himself as an Major League Baseball All-Star Ga ...
. Young Mets phenom Matt Harvey, who grew up a Yankees fan, had an impressive line – 8IP 6H 1ER 0BB 10K – but left with a 1–0 deficit. Rivera would come into the game in the bottom of the 9th and promptly give up a double to Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy. David Wright would get another hit to drive in Murphy and contribute to Rivera's first blown save of the year. The next batter Lucas Duda would get the game-winning hit off Rivera to give him the first blown save of his career where he did not record at least one out. The Mets swept the season series for the first time in 2013. That July, Robinson Canó of the Yankees and David Wright of the Mets were named captains for the All-Star Game home run derby at Citi Field. In December, the Mets agreed to terms with outfielder Curtis Granderson on a four-year contract worth $60 million on December 6, 2013. Granderson played for the Yankees from 2010 to 2013. "A lot of the people I've met in New York have always said that, 'True New Yorkers are Mets fans,'" said Granderson during a press conference making the deal official. "So I'm excited to get a chance to see them all out there." Around the same time, the Yankees agreed to sign Carlos Beltrán, who was a Met from 2005 to 2011.
In 2015, both teams qualified for the postseason. The Yankees lost to the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
to the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
, the only time during the 2010s decade that either the Yankees or the Mets appeared in a World Series. This loss made the 2010s decade the first decade since the 1910s that a team from New York City failed to win a World Series.
In September 2017, due to
Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Maria, Maria two weeks later. At the time, it was considered ...
, the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
had their series with the Yankees relocated to Citi Field. In reaction to a home run hit by Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier, Mets fan Gary Dunaier was caught on camera with a stern face and gesturing a thumbs down to protest the Yankees' success. The video of the incident went viral and Frazier and the Yankees would later adopt the thumbs down gesture as a rallying cry celebration to close out their season and during their playoff run. During the following off-season, Frazier would sign with the Mets.
The 2018 season marked the first time since 1992 that both the Mets and the Yankees had new managers to start the season. The Yankees parted ways with
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, C ...
after they lost in the 2017 ALCS to the eventual champion
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American professional baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2009. As ...
; Mets manager Terry Collins announced his retirement and moved into the team's front office after the season ended. Mickey Callaway, former pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians, took over as Mets manager.
2020–present: Both teams become postseason contenders
In 2020, hedge fund manager and billionaire Steve Cohen, purchased the Mets, ushering in a new era of competitiveness for New York City baseball. Cohen has promised an increase in payroll to turn the Mets into one of the highest-spending teams in the league, drawing comparisons to former Yankees owner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...
.
During the 2020 season, the
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
resulted in the Mets playing 2 "home" games at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees. The Mets won their first home game by the score of 4–3, as Amed Rosario, the Mets shortstop, hit a walk-off home run at Yankee Stadium. After the game, Rosario told reporters "I forgot we were the home team and that was the end of the game,” noting the unique characteristics of that season for both teams. As a result, Rosario became the first visiting player since Ed McKean of the St. Louis Perfectos in 1899 to hit a walk-off home run in the opposing team's ballpark.
Two days later, on August 30, the Yankees had a surprising victory of their own, as they came back from 7–2 down in the final inning to win the game 8–7 in extra innings. The Yankees were given a 1 in 500 chance of coming back in that game, and a walk off single by third baseman Gio Urshela in extra innings helped the Yankees finish the comeback.
In 2021, the two teams played on the weekend of the 20th anniversary of the
September 11th attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. In a game filled with pregame ceremonies and remembrances, the Yankees managed to win by a score of 8–7. Before the game, the two rivals came together in a show of unity by hugging which elicited an emotional reaction from the crowd. The next night, star Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hit 3 home runs to propel the Mets to a 7–6 victory, becoming the first player in Subway Series history to hit 3 home runs in a single game.
2022 also marked the first time the teams completed a major trade in 18 years, as the Mets traded middle reliever Miguel Castro to the Yankees for reliever Joely Rodríguez. The trade did not end up being a success, as both players ended up playing for different teams in 2023. Nonetheless, both teams made the playoffs for the first time since 2015; with the Mets losing to the San Diego Padres in the wild card round and the Yankees, though defeating the Cleveland Guardians in the divisional round, eventually losing in a sweep to the Houston Astros in the ALCS.
In 2023, the Yankees and Mets had disappointing seasons, resulting in both teams missing the playoffs one year after they were among the top teams in their league, as the Yankees finished with 82 wins and the Mets finished with 75 wins. The 2023 season was seen as a massive letdown, as both the Yankees and Mets were among the pre-season favorites to win the World Series and both fell short of expectations.
Both teams returned to the postseason in 2024 and reached their respective LCS, giving that year's
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
a chance to be the first Subway Series since 2000. However, the Mets fell to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, formerly a New York City team, in the
NLCS
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Major League Baseball po ...
while the Yankees defeated the
Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. Since , the team has played its home gam ...
in the ALCS for their first AL pennant and World Series appearance since their championship season of , though they also lost the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
to the Dodgers, who became the first team in MLB history to eliminate two teams from the same city in the Postseason.
After the conclusion of the 2024 season, Yankees outfielder Juan Soto became a free agent. Both the Yankees and Mets engaged in a heated bidding war for the star. At the 2024 Winter Meetings, it was announced that Soto would sign with the Mets on a 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest contract in professional sports history. The deal sparked outrage among Yankees fans, particularly because Soto left the storied Yankees for the long-struggling Mets. Soto's signing has been widely seen as way of reigniting the rivalry, ushering in a new era of New York baseball.
Club success
Note: Pennants won by both teams include pennants won before the modern
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
Interleague play
Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. ...
was introduced in the 1997 season, marking the first time the Mets and Yankees played each other in the regular season. First season series win for Yankees.
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, ''no games''
, style=";" , Yankees 42
, Yankees finish with the best record in the league (114–48). Yankees win
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season. The 94th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the National ...
.
, -
,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 75
, First year of 6-game home and away format. Yankees win 1999 World Series.
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,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 4–2
, style=";" , Yankees, 2–1
, style=";" , Yankees, 2–1
, style=";" , Yankees 11–7
, On June 9 at Yankee Stadium, the Mets beat the Yankees 12–2, their highest run differential against the Yankees with a 10-run differential. Game scheduled on June 11 at Yankee Stadium was postponed to July 8 due to rain. Yankees sweep a split-ballpark doubleheader on July 8.
, - style="background:#f2f2f2;"
, 2000 World Series
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 41
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 20
, style=";" , Yankees 158
,
Clemens Clemens is a Late Latin, German, and Dutch masculine given name and a surname, meaning "merciful".
Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Adelaide Clemens (born 1989), Australian actress
* Andrew Clemens (1857–1894), American folk ...
,
Piazza
A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rela ...
brawl in Game 2. First "Subway Series" World Series since
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
between Yankees and
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
. As of , Yankees remain the most recent repeat champions.
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,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 42
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 1910
, Yankees lose
2001 World Series
The 2001 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2001 Major League Baseball season, 2001 season. The 97th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (ba ...
.
, -
,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 2213
, Clemens pitches and bats against Mets for the first time since the 2000 brawl. Yankees finish tied for the best record in the league (103–58).
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 60
, style=";" , Yankees, 30
, style=";" , Yankees, 30
, style=";" , Yankees 2813
, Game scheduled on June 21 at Shea Stadium was postponed to June 28 for a doubleheader due to rain. First season series sweep for Yankees. Yankees finish tied for the best record in the league (101–61). Yankees lose
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series (also known as the Centennial World Series) was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2003 Major League Baseball season, 2003 season. The 99th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-s ...
.
, -
,
, style=";" , Mets
, style=";" , 42
, style=";" , Mets, 30
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 3017
, The game scheduled for June 25 at Yankee Stadium was postponed to June 27 as a doubleheader due to rain. First season series win for Mets. Yankees sweep doubleheader at Yankee Stadium June 27.
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,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 3320
,
, -
,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 3623
, On July 2 at Yankee Stadium, Yankees beat the Mets 16–7, their most runs scored in a game against the Mets. Both teams win their respective divisions and finish tied for the best record in the league with identical 97–65 records.
, -
,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 3926
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Mets
, style=";" , 42
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Mets, 30
, style=";" , Yankees 4130
, Game scheduled on May 16 at Yankee Stadium was postponed to June 27 as a doubleheader due to rain. On June 27 at Yankee Stadium, Mets beat the Yankees 15–6, their most runs scored in a game against the Yankees. Last season Mets played at
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.original Yankee Stadium.
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 51
, style=";" , Yankees, 30
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 4631
, Mets open up
Citi Field
Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...
. Yankees open up
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
. On June 14 at Yankee Stadium, Yankees beat the Mets 15–0, their highest run differential against the Mets with a 15-run differential. Yankees finish with the best record in the league (103–59). Yankees win 2009 World Series.
, -
,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 4934
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 42
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 5336
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 51
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 30
, style=";" , Yankees 5837
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Mets
, style=";" , 40
, style=";" , Mets, 20
, style=";" , Mets, 20
, style=";" , Yankees 5841
, Series changes to 4-game home and away format except in years the AL East plays the NL East (2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021). First season series sweep for Mets.
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,
, Tie
, 22
, style=";" , Yankees, 20
, style=";" , Mets, 20
, style=";" , Yankees 6043
, First time road team sweeps all four games.
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 42
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 6445
, Mets lose 2015 World Series.
, -
,
, Tie
, 22
, Tie, 11
, Tie, 11
, style=";" , Yankees 6647
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 40
, style=";" , Yankees, 20
, style=";" , Yankees, 20
, style=";" , Yankees 7047
, Second season series sweep for Yankees since the 2003 season.
, -
,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 7350
, Game scheduled on July 22 at Yankee Stadium was postponed to August 13 due to inclement weather.
, -
,
, Tie
, 22
, Tie, 11
, Tie, 11
, style=";" , Yankees 7552
, Game scheduled on June 10 at Yankee Stadium was postponed to June 11 as a doubleheader due to inclement weather and rain.
, -
,
, Tie
, 33
, style=";" , Mets, 10
, style=";" , Yankees, 32
, style=";" , Yankees 7855
, Mets sweep doubleheader at Yankee Stadium August 28. Yankees sweep doubleheader at Yankee Stadium August 30. Two of three scheduled Mets home games were moved from Citi Field to Yankee Stadium due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, which are considered home games for the Yankees, per official statistics, though each team played three games batting in the bottom of innings.
, -
,
, style=";" , Mets
, style=";" , 42
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Mets, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 8059
, Game scheduled on July 2 at Yankee Stadium was postponed to July 4 as a doubleheader due to rain. Teams split doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on July 4.
, -
,
, Tie
, 22
, style=";" , Mets, 20
, style=";" , Yankees, 20
, style=";" , Yankees 8261
, Mets finish the Wild Card for the best record in the league (101–61). Home team sweeps the season series for the first time.
, -
,
, Tie
, 22
, Tie, 11
, Tie, 11
, style=";" , Yankees 8463
, Permanent adoption of the four-game series format, with two games in each ballpark every season.
, -
,
, style=";" , Mets
, style=";" , 40
, style=";" , Mets, 20
, style=";" , Mets, 20
, style=";" , Yankees 8467
, Second season series sweep for Mets since the 2013 season. Yankees lose
2024 World Series
The 2024 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2024 Major League Baseball season, 2024 season. The 120th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (b ...
.
, -
,
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 21
, ''Upcoming, July 4–6''
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees 8668
, Return of six-game format with each team hosting a three-game weekend series.
, -
, Regular season games
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 8267
, style=";" , Yankees, 3734
, style=";" , Yankees, 4533
,
, -
, Postseason games
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 41
, style=";" , Yankees, 21
, style=";" , Yankees, 20
,
, -
, Postseason series
, style=";" , Yankees
, style=";" , 10
, style=";" , 10
, style=";" , 10
, World Series:
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
Showalter is the only person to have won Manager of the Year honors with both the Yankees and the Mets. In fact, he was the first manager of either team to win the award. In addition, he and Yogi Berra are the only managers to have managed both teams in the postseason. Berra is the only person to have managed both teams to pennants; Yankees in 1964 and Mets in 1973, the latter is the only time between 1970 and 1980 that the National League East wasn't won by either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Fan cheering groups
Alongside the players and the team staff, it is the fans that have defined the rivalry that has been present since the beginning of interleague play. The two teams' stadium fan groups, which would tend to meet each other during the current interleague Subway Series, are (with their respective assigned sections):
* Bleacher Creatures - Yankees, Section 203, Yankee Stadium (active since mid-1990s, formerly at sections 37 and 39 of the old Yankee Stadium)
* The 7 Line Army - Mets, Big Apple Reserved Section, Citi Field (active since 2012)
Fan demographics
In 1998, the Independent Budget Office of the city of New York published a study on the economic effect of the city's two Major League Baseball teams. The study included an analysis of where fans of both the Mets and the Yankees resided. The study found that 43% of Mets fans lived in one of the five boroughs of New York, 39% in the tri-state area outside the city and 12% elsewhere. Mets fans were more likely to be found in
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
and the
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
, whereas
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
,
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
,
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley or Hudson River Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The region stretches from the Capital District (New York), Capital District includi ...
and the upstate New York region, leaned more towards the Yankees. Mets, Yankees and
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
fans are shared in
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' called an "Exclusive Poll" conducted in 2010, the newspaper compared the differences between Mets fans and Yankees fans. The poll found:
*While Yankees fans outnumbered Mets fans by almost two-to-one (60% to 33%), Mets fans also tend to be more invested in their team: ''Not only do they monitor their team's progress more often (75% of Mets fans follow the team on a daily basis vs. 60% of Yankees fans) and make more bets, they listen to substantially more sports radio (26% to 17%)."''
*Mets fans drink more:
**Male Mets fans were more likely than Yankees fans to drink beer:
**They also drink more in general: the percentage of male Yankees fans who said they don't drink was almost double that of their Mets counterparts (28% to 17%).
*There was no statistically significant disparity in income between the two fanbases:
**The poll found 33% of Yankees fans made over $100,000 annually, compared to 22% of Mets fans, a gap which was within the poll's 3.8% margin of error.
**While Yankees fans were more likely to fall into the upper and lower brackets, Mets fans were more likely to be middle class.
*Yankee fans were more likely to own pets (47% to 42%) and be married (48% to 43%).
Fans of other New York City teams
Historically, Yankees fans tend to root for the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
(who once played in Yankee Stadium) and the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
(all three being the older, more established teams), while Mets fans tend to root for the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
(who once played in Shea Stadium) and
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
. However, some Yankees fans root for the Jets (both teams have intense rivalries with
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
. However Yankees and Mets fans are split when it comes to basketball and soccer (the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
,
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
;
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...
, and
New York City FC
New York City Football Club (often referred to as NYCFC) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in New York City. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern C ...
, respectively).
Rivalry outside baseball
Outside Major League Baseball, the teams rivalry has shown passions from fans of both sides.
*In the 1991 movie ''
City Slickers
''City Slickers'' is a 1991 American Western comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby and Jack Palance, with supporting roles by Patricia Wettig, Helen Slater and Noble Willingham, and ...
'' starring
Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. ...
, Crystal's character is seen wearing a Mets hat. Crystal himself in reality is an avid and outspoken Yankees fan, so much that he had a personal friendship with his boyhood idol
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
in as much he produced the movie '' 61*'' about Mantle and
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris (born Maras; September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new List of Major League Baseball p ...
's chase for
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...
's all-time record for home runs hit in a season. Crystal also celebrated his 60th birthday by signing a one-day contract with the Yankees in the 2008 Spring training.
*In the movie ''
Two Weeks Notice
''Two Weeks Notice'' is a 2002 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Marc Lawrence and starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant, with Alicia Witt, Dana Ivey, Robert Klein, and Heather Burns. In the film, an idealistic, liberal ...
'',
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and film producer. The List of highest-paid film actors, highest-paid actress of 2010 and 2014, Sandra Bullock filmography, Bullock's filmography spans both comedy and drama, ...
and
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor. He has received List of awards ...
's characters Lucy Kelson and George Wade attended a Mets game. When an opposing player hit a pop-fly and Mets catcher Mike Piazza went towards the stands to get it, Lucy reached over and stole the pop fly from Piazza, preventing him from getting the player out. Piazza quipped saying she should be a Yankees fan.
*During the 2000 World Series, the
Mayor of New York City
The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...
,
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...
, showed no remorse in his partisan support of the Yankees despite being the sitting mayor in office, though he had attended Mets games before and after. Examples of this include the Mets opened the 1996 season, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch along with the
Governor of New York
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...
, during the Mets' season opener in , and when the Mets hosted the first professional sporting event in New York since September 11, 2001.
*In 2010, pop star singer and Yankees fan
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
, attended a Mets game at Citi Field with the San Diego Padres where she gave Mets fans the middle finger. Actor and comedian
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...
, a Mets fan, criticized Gaga for the incident due to children being at the game and became upset knowing that she had done the action from his personal luxury box.
*In 2013,
Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...
, former
Governor of New Jersey
The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...
, stated his support of the Mets and confusion over why Yankees fans jeer Mets fans:
OK, here's what I don't understand about Yankees fans: The Mets stink. We're awful. And the Yankees are usually really good. So why do you boo us? You should feel badly for us. We root for this awful team that never wins and yet the Yankees fans boo us. I don't understand that. And other Mets fans say boo to the Yankees because they say boo to us and is not fair about that so they should care about the 2 New York team especially when they go see the team play the subway series and they should all cheer up on the subway series.
Major League Baseball rivalries
Throughout its history, Major League Baseball rivalries have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, various incidents, ...
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...