The second Subway Series of the year is upon us. After selling at the trade deadline, the new-look New York Mets (68-78) have look rejuvenated under interim manager Andy Green. They have won three consecutive series, including a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins earlier this week. The New York Yankees (84-62) are set to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but the bigger question is how will they do once they get to the postseason.

Let’s take a look at some notes ahead of the three pitching matchups this weekend.

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PITCHING MATCHUPS

  • Friday: Nolan McLean (11-8, 3.06 ERA) vs. Carlos Rodón (5-3, 3.09 ERA): McLean has made a late push in the National League Rookie of the Year race. A lot of that is down to what he has done post All-Star break, pitching to a 2.15 ERA over 54 1/3 innings. He is 6-3 over that stretch and has eight quality starts over his last nine appearances. He’s performing like an ace. McLean will pitch against the Yankees for the first time in his career. After making at least 32 starts in 2024 and 2025, Rodón has been hampered by injuries this year. He didn’t make his season debut until May and found himself back on the injured list in July due to a left elbow injury. Rodón is 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA since being reactivated, throwing 88 and 89 pitches in his last two outings.
  • Saturday: Zac Thornton (3-5, 3.53 ERA) vs. Gerrit Cole (8-8, 3.41 ERA): Like so many other young pitchers, Thornton has hit a bit of a wall after beginning his big league career in fine form. Since August 12, he has no wins and has pitched to a 5.00 ERA. The long ball has been a big concern of late, allowing eight home runs over his last five starts. Thornton allowed a career-high six earned runs in five innings against the San Francisco Giants last Saturday. Cole missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Entering his age-35 season, it was difficult to predict how the ace would bounce back. Since the start of August, he has pitched to a 3.14 ERA over seven starts. Cole is 2-4 with a 6.99 ERA in 46 1/3 innings against the Mets.
  • Sunday: Christian Scott (4-4, 3.81 ERA) vs. Cam Schlittler (13-6, 2.01 ERA): Similarly to Thornton, Scott’s performances have been up and down throughout the summer. Since the start of July, he has pitched to a 4.31 ERA over 54 1/3 innings. The next step for Scott is pitching deep into games more consistently. He has just two quality starts through 21 appearances this year. In 2026, Scott is 2-2 with a 3.61 ERA over 10 home starts. Schlittler’s coming out party was Game 3 of the Yankees’ Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox last year. He has backed that up in the biggest way imaginable, leading the race for the American League Cy Young Award by a wide margin. Schlittler has allowed one run or less in six consecutive starts

WHAT’S THE STORY?

The Mets have been and will continue to be playing for pride over the final few weeks of the season. On the other hand, the stakes are quite high for the Yankees. With 16 games to go, they currently trail the Tampa Bay Rays by three games for the top spot in the American League East. Bad news? The Yankees are currently 3-6 against the Rays this season. Good news? They have four more games against Tampa Bay later this month, all of which are at home. The race for the division is still very much alive. With Aaron Judge back after missing over three months, optimism New York can snatch the top spot is certainly there.

PREDICTION

Since 2018, the Mets have either won or split the season series against the Yankees, which is a remarkable stat. That streak could remain intact as long as the Mets win one game this weekend, as they took two of three when the two teams faced off back in May. This is an important series for the Yankees, but don’t get it twisted. The Mets have been a difficult team to beat for an extended period now. I expect a game or two to be close, but the Yankees will take two of three.