After yet another disappointing series, in which they lost two out of three games to the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets (46-53) are set to engage in a two-game Subway Series showdown against the cross-town rival New York Yankees (53-47) at Yankee Stadium. The teams split a series at Citi Field in June.

Despite winning Friday’s game (on Saturday), the Mets were the victims of poor performances from their starting pitchers on Saturday and Sunday. When a starting pitcher fails to provide length in a game, it can be much more difficult to make an insurmountable comeback. The team is 29-6 when their starter goes six innings.

On the other hand, the Yankees were able to dominate the Kansas City Royals in a series sweep over the weekend. Despite their offense being largely ineffective as of late, they seemed to be revitalized in the last three games. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain their strong momentum heading into the Subway Series, still without their star slugger Aaron Judge.

As the trade deadline approaches, the Mets are still at conflict regarding their philosophy. While the recent results have been trending towards a fire sale, the Mets’ front office has not been indicative of that sentiment. In fact, Andy Martino of SNY reported on Monday that the Mets are not ready to commit to selling just yet. Regardless of these words, the clock is ticking fast, and the Mets need to make a commitment either way before it is too late. This upcoming series should help them to clarify their position, and start to kick the tires on potential trades that can benefit the team in whichever capacity they choose.

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Tuesday, July 25, 2023: RHP Justin Verlander (4-5, 3.47 ERA) vs. RHP Domingo Germán (5-6, 4.52 ERA)

Justin Verlander will pitch for the Mets on Tuesday. While this season has not gone exactly how he planned, Verlander posted a vintage performance in his previous start. In eight innings, he only allowed one run with seven strikeouts against the Chicago White Sox. As a member of the American League for many years, Verlander encountered the Yankees several times throughout his career. In the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, Verlander has a career 3.84 ERA in 12 regular season appearances. While this number is not great, Verlander’s performance is elevated against the Yankees in the playoffs, where he has a 2.62 ERA in his career against them.

Domingo Germán will open the series for the Yankees on Tuesday. Despite throwing a perfect game earlier this season, Germán has not found consistency in recent play. In fact, he allowed five runs in six innings in his last outing against the Los Angeles Angels. Germán has faced the Mets five times in his career with a 3.71 ERA to show for it.

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Wednesday, July 26, 2023: LHP José Quintana (0-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. LHP Carlos Rodón (0-3, 7.36 ERA)

José Quintana will pitch in the final game of the series for the Mets. In his season debut, he was effective in five innings, as he allowed only two runs with three strikeouts against the White Sox. His status will be important to monitor over the next few weeks, as reports have emerged that other clubs have him on their radar in trade discussions. Last season, as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Quintana pitched five innings while allowing only one run with seven strikeouts against the Yankees.

Carlos Rodón will close out the series for the Yankees, and he has struggled mightily in his first few starts for his new club. In fact, he pitched 4 1/3 innings while allowing six earned runs and five walks in his previous start against the Los Angeles Angels. This game may be an opportunity for Rodón to take a step in the right direction, as he pitched five shutout innings with eight strikeouts in an April 2022 start against the Mets.