The Major League Baseball season is back, with the majority of the opening day games being played on March 27. The New York Yankees and the New York Mets are playing the Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros, respectively. Debates on who the best team in New York is this upcoming season have been circulating around the baseball community, with the Yankees and the Mets signing key new pieces in the offseason. 

In December, the Mets made their biggest offseason deal for free agent Juan Soto. Soto had previously played for the Yankees in the 2024 season and sent the Yankees to the World Series. This monster deal would earn Soto around $51 million per year, the biggest contract in MLB history. Steve Cohen, the Mets owner, stopped at nothing to sign him. 

The Mets also re-signed first-baseman Pete Alonso under a two year deal. Other than the historic Soto signing, the Mets’ front office remained generally quiet for the rest of the offseason, making minor deals with Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, and Jose Siri.

Although the Yankees lost their second best player to their neighbors, they remain the favorite for the American League East. Brian Cashman, the Yankees general manager, signed key veterans, lefty pitcher Max Fried and lefty outfielder Cody Bellinger. The Yankees will rely on their seasoned veterans, like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton (when healthy), Carlos Rodón and newly acquired Paul Goldschmidt.

The Mets are led not only by Juan Soto and Pete Alonso, but also Francisco Lindor, who came in second in MVP voting, placing only behind Shohei Ohtani. Lindor’s 2024 season was certainly one for the books, as he slashed a .273 batting average, hit 33 home runs, and a historic 7.0 WAR. However, even with all of this offensive power, there is a caveat. The Mets’ starting pitching rotation going into the 2025 season is in trouble. Although the Mets’ opening day starter, Clay Holmes, has had a spectacular spring training, his past struggles should not be overlooked. Holmes blew 13 saves last season for the Yankees. Additionally, Sean Manea and Frankie Montas, other promising starters for the Mets, are beginning the season injured. 

Although those staples like Judge, Stanton, and Rodón will be key to the Yankees’ success, a new youthful wave has entered the Bronx, as Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Jasson Dominguez, and even Jazz Chisholm Jr. will carry significant weight. Volpe and Wells have been known for their defensive abilities, but have struggled offensively in recent years. However, both improved significantly towards the end of the 2024 season, Wells having earned the leadoff spot on opening day. Dominguez is in an opposite situation with many being concerned with him being a liability in Yankee Stadium’s tricky left field. Someone that the Yankees expect to have a monster year is Jazz Chisholm Jr. He has been mediocre offensively, but someone to always watch on the basepaths. The main problem that the Yankees face the entirety of the season is the absence of their ace, Gerrit Cole. Cole had Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL in his pitching arm that will bench him for the entirety of the 2025 season, and a part of the 2026.

The main story line for the Subway Series this season will be how Juan Soto performs. With him batting .289 last year, with 41 home runs and over 100 RBIs, he is expecting to have another MVP caliber year in the National League. However, he and the Mets have certainly met their match with their crosstown rivals with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It will be interesting to see how Yankee fans treat him when he visits the Bronx in May. At a spring training game earlier this month, there was mixed reaction from the crowd, as he sent the Yankees to their first World Series in 15 years, but signed with a team that offered a similar amount of money. 

Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, joked with Soto about his transition to the Mets.

“I told him he looks terrible in that uniform… obviously, Juan was great for us, but just as important, he was a great guy in our clubhouse,” Boone said.

However, it would not be surprising to see and hear Yankees fans have opposite reactions when Soto steps into the box on May 16. This matchup is one that many hope to watch in the 2025 fall classic, but in the meantime, the title for the best team in New York is still up for grabs.