Inside The Pinstripes

Former Reliever Shades Yankees at Mets Spring Training

One former New York Yankees relief pitcher wasn't afraid to share his feelings at his first Spring Training with the New York Mets.
Delilah Bourque|
Sep 28, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) tosses the ball to first base after fielding a ground ball hit by Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) tosses the ball to first base after fielding a ground ball hit by Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

Players switching between the New York Yankees and New York Mets is nothing new. Every time they do so, it feeds the flames of a historic baseball rivalry. Relief pitcher Luke Weaver, who departed the Yankees in the offseason to join the Mets, is no exception, and has weighed in on which club he thinks is better.

In a video posted to social media by SNY Mets, Weaver wasn't shy about how he thinks his new team ranks compared to the Yankees.

"Yo Luke! The Mets are better than the Yankees! You made the right choice," the young fan yelled from a balcony.

"I'm gonna strongly agree with you right now," Weaver replied while signing a ball.

Despite Weaver's confidence, the numbers last season tell a different story. It's true that the Yankees exited the postseason after a tough AL Divisional Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Mets didn't make the postseason at all.

Now, a new season is beginning and Weaver has changed boroughs. He's not the only one; fellow relief pitcher Devin Williams also departed the Yankees for the Mets this offseason. Neither pitcher had a phenomenal 2025.

Williams began the season as the Pinstripes' closer, but was benched in favor of Weaver after several blown saves. Weaver then suffered an injury that had him out for a few weeks. Once he returned, his pitching wasn't the same and the Yankees pivoted to a strategy where relief pitchers were only given one inning each. Neither Williams nor Weaver were able to return to consistently dominant performances, and the job was given to deadline acquisition David Bednar.

Mets' Luke Weaver Addresses Yankees Bag Controversy

It's not the first time the crosstown rivalry has come up in Spring Training for Weaver. When first reporting to the Mets facility at Clover Park in Port Saint Lucie, FL he was carrying a Yankees equipment bag, as shared by the Talkin' Yanks podcast on social media.

Later on, Weaver addressed the

"I thought it was a bit silly, personally," Weaver said of the criticism for bringing his old team's bag. "I understand why people are, I wouldn't say in uproar, but why they're talking about it. I get it, but to your point, it's very common to bring your old bag to your new team. They don't first class air mail a new bag, so I didn't get a new bag from the Mets."

The Yankees take on the Mets in the infamous "Subway Series" for three games in May from Citi Field in Queens, NY before returning to Yankee Stadium for another three games in September.

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Delilah Bourque
DELILAH BOURQUE

Delilah Bourque is a writer and copyeditor based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. After a few years in corporate marketing, she joined On SI as a full-time copyeditor and contributor to the New York Yankees On SI, as well as occasional contributions across the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers on SI.

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