By Owen Russell
The New York Yankees and Mets began their 2022 seasons this past week after an off-season which saw new faces coming to town, old faces heading elsewhere, and a vaccine mandate debacle that nearly sidelined New York’s mega stars.
The Mets opened their season against the Washington Nationals. For the Mets, all eyes have been on the new look rotation since the off-season. After future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer signed with the Mets in December, fans have been clamoring to see him in action. Many thought Scherzer would have been the de facto Opening Day starter, but that nod went to Tylor Megill, who got the win for New York and tallied six strikeouts along the way.
After Megill led the Mets to a win, fans got their first look at Scherzer in orange and blue. Scherzer showed dominance, striking out six batters in six innings, but he also allowed three runs on three hits. Those three runs didn’t matter as much, as the Mets went on to win 7-3.
The Mets rounded out their first series of the season against Washington, winning three games and losing one. Across their three wins, New York allowed only four runs. Players like Pete Alonso and Starling Marte have led the offensive charge for the Mets. First baseman Alonso and outfielder Marte led the team with four RBIs each. Outfielder Mark Canha recorded seven hits in ten at-bats.
In the Bronx, The New York Yankees started their season against their oldest rival, the Boston Red Sox. For the Yankees fans, they suffered through a topsy-turvy offseason. The Yankees, who are notoriously big spenders, were suspiciously quiet in the free agent market. Big names like shortstops Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, and Javy Baez were all rumored to be on the Yankees’ radar, but none of them found their way to the Bronx.
As if that wasn’t frustrating enough for fans, superstar outfielder Aaron Judge seemed likely to miss the start of the season due to his supposed unvaccinated status. Mayor Eric Adams had previously stated he would not lift the vaccine mandate for athletes, and Aaron Judge has consistently dodged vaccine questions since last year.
Once Mayor Adams lifted the ban after all, and the Yankees added a few key pieces, things looked alright for the Bronx Bombers. One of those pieces was third baseman Josh Donaldson, a former MVP from the Minnesota Twins.
The Yankees rounded out their first series of the season, winning two games and dropping one. Beating a strong Red Sox team is an ideal way for the Yankees to start their season, as in the American League East Division, which is projected to be tougher than ever, all games matter.
The Yankees and Mets both have a lot of season left to play, but both fanbases expect big things. If both teams meet expectations, New Yorkers could be watching a Subway Series come October.