Yankees Sneak Past Mets' Playoff Chances

Both the New York Yankees and their crosstown rival, the New York Mets, are in something of a mid-season slump. The Yankees, who once led their division by seven games, are third in the AL East, while the Mets, despite signing slugger Juan Soto to a record-breaking contract in December, are five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Now, both team's playoff chances are being questioned.

ESPN MLB insiders Jeff Passan, Jorge Castillo, Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers compared the two New York teams to one another, evaluating each club's strengths and weaknesses. The analysts also evaluated which team they think has the better odds to go the furthest in the post-season.

Both Castillo and Rogers, who also described themselves as "very concerned" about the Yankees going forward, tabbed the Mets as the stronger post-season team.

"Don't count the Mets out. They have a run in them," Rogers wrote.

Jul 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a game winning RBI single in the eleventh inning to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

On the other hand, Passan and Olney both threw their support behind the Bronx Bombers, citing the weaker American League as a reason the Yankees would go further.

"It's as if the Mets have to run a double marathon and the Yankees are doing a corporate fun run. The Yankees have a better shot of lasting because the challenge is simply not the same," Olney wrote.

The National League is loaded up with powerful clubs, including the Yankees' 2024 World Series foe, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Milwaukee Brewers, who currently boast the best record in the league (75-44).

"If the playoffs started today, the Yankees would face a banged-up Houston Astros team — always a tough series, yes, but a winnable one," Passan wrote in agreement with Olney. "At the end of the day, I believe the Mets are a slightly superior team to the Yankees, but because of the competition in each league, the Yankees' chance of advancing slightly exceeds that of their crosstown rivals."

Both teams have a limited amount of time to get better, with the post-season rapidly approaching. For the Yankees, it'll take a stronger commitment to getting runners on base and securing their starting pitcher rotation, which has been plagued by injury this season. Fortunately for the Pinstripes, they face the weakest schedule in the league for the remainder of the 2025 regular season, though that could spell disaster once again in the World Series against a likely-stronger National League champion.

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