It’s that time again in Major League Baseball: the playoff push is in full throttle. Now that another wildcard team has been added to the playoff format, the summer months of baseball get to be really exciting. Both New York teams looked ready for meaningful games in September and October once the All-Star break ends.
The New York Yankees look to be heading to their 4th consecutive playoff appearance. The only time they have missed the playoffs was in 2008, when Joe Girardi first became manager of the team. The Yankees will have to do without CC Sabathia for the next two weeks. He is on the DL with inflammation in his elbow. This is a huge loss considering that Sabathia is their ace and best pitcher. However, the Yankees did not wait to add a pitcher. Derek Lowe, who has years of playoff experience has been added to the roster and will look to help push the Yankees over the top in the absence of Sabathia.
Over in the National League, the New York Mets will most likely be sitting out of the playoffs again as they continue to rebuild for the future. There was some hope as the Mets had a really good first half of the season. Fans were optimistic and enjoyed some great baseball by a gritty team. As the second half began, their bullpen finally caught up to them as they lost 5 games in a row. The starting pitching has not been the same either and the team is now 6 games below .500. They will now look to rebuild for the future. Rookie Matt Harvey has already made his debut and now we wait for the eventual debut of their top prospect, Zach Wheeler.
It’s just the same results but a different season for both New York teams. The Yankees will try to win their 28th World Series Championship, and the Mets will look ahead to next season again. Either way, this season has been great and I cannot wait for the playoffs to come.
Anthony Rivera: PureSportsNY