There were times -- 1985, 1986, 1988, 1998, 1999 -- when Met fans hoped they might get to play the Yankees in the World Series, and beat them. They finally got their wish in 2000, and their greatest chance turned into their worst nightmare.
There have been a few chances since, the biggest in 2006, which remains the only time both teams have won their Divisions.
Going into this season, the belief was that the riches of new owner Steve Cohen were going to launch the Mets not just to a title, but a generation of dominance in New York baseball -- and that, if the Yankees got in their way in October, the Flushing Faithful would finally have their revenge. After all, the Mets now had the two best pitchers in baseball: Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer.
We are now just about 1/3rd of the way into the regular season -- 53 out of 162 is 32.7 percent -- and, if anything, it is the Yankees who have the starting pitching that should make Met fans afraid of what might happen in October.
True, the Mets are leading the National League East by 8 1/2 games. But the Yankees have the best record in baseball. And, based on the way each of their 5 starters is going, especially in each's last start, can anyone make the case that the Mets' rotation is better?
Yesterday, the Yankees hosted the Detroit Tigers, and Luis Severino allowed 1 hit in 7 innings. Even that 1 hit was questionable, as it could have been ruled an error. Although it was a rather hard-hit ball, by future Hall-of-Famer Miguel Cabrera, off the glove of a leaping shortstop, Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Sevy was supported by a 1st-inning home run from Aaron Judge, and a 6th-inning home run from Anthony Rizzo. In the 8th, after a 1-2-3 inning from Michael King, the Yankees got another run on walks by Judge and Kyle Higashioka, a single by Aaron Hicks, and a sacrifice fly by Josh Donaldson.
Clay Holmes pitched a perfect 9th to finish off the 1-hit shutout. Yankees 3, Tigers 0. WP: Severino (4-1). SV: Holmes (8). LP: Beau Brieske (0-5).
The Toronto Blue Jays won, but the Tampa Bay Rays lost, so those teams flipped in the standings again: The Yankees lead the Jays by 6 1/2 games (6 in the all-important loss column), the Rays by 7. At 38-15, the Yankees have the best record in baseball.
Sure, sure: "The Mets are doing this without deGrom or Scherzer." And the Yankees are doing better, having missed significant time from one of the best sluggers in the game, Giancarlo Stanton; and still missing their intended closer, Aroldis Chapman, although the case can be made that Holmes should stay the closer when Chapman comes back.
Yes, the Mets are doing what they're doing, without deGrom, and without Scherzer. Can anyone seriously tell us that either deGrom or Scherzer would have pitched better over the last 5 days than any of the Yankees' starters? Let me refresh your memory:
* Jordan Montgomery: 6 innings, no runs, 3 hits, 1 walk, before allowing a home run in the 7th. Won.
* Nestor Cortes: 7 innings, no runs, 5 hits, 2 walks. Won.
* Jameson Taillon: 7 perfect innings before allowing 2 hits, no walks, in the 8th. Won.
* Gerrit Cole: 6 1/3rd perfect innings before allowing 2 hits, no walks, in the 7th. Won.
* Luis Severino: 7 innings, no runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts. Won.
Too small a sample size? Okay: Let's look at the entire season thus far:
Won-loss records: Taillon 6-1, Cortes 5-1, Cole 5-1, Severino 4-1, Montgomery (the victim of poor run support) 1-1.
ERAs (Earned Run Average): Cortes 1.50, Taillon 2.30, Cole 2.78, Severino 2.95, Montgomery 3.04. deGrom for his career: 2.50. Scherzer this season, before he got hurt: 2.54.
WHIPs (Walks plus Hits, divided by Innings Pitched): Cortes 0.867, Taillon 0.903, Cole 0.959, Severino 1.000, Montgomery 1.013. deGrom for his career: 1.011. Scherzer this season, before he got hurt: 0.946.
In other words, the Mets have "the two best pitchers in baseball," and all 5 Yankee starters have been at least competitive with them.
As Met fan Susan Sarandon said in her opening "Church of Baseball" soliloquy in Bull Durham, "It's a long season, and you've got to trust it."
The Yankees sure look a lot better equipped to be on top when this long season is over than the Mets do. And not all of Steve Cohen's billions can change that.
And that should strike fear into every Met fan.