It’s a good yr to be a New York baseball staff. As a barely truncated April got here to an in depth on Saturday, the Yankees had the most effective document within the American League at 15-6 and the Mets have been tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the most effective document within the Nationwide League at 15-7.
Whereas not with out precedent, the sight of each New York groups on high of their respective leagues on the finish of April has been uncommon within the 61 seasons that the Mets and Yankees have coexisted. The final time it occurred was 1986 — a yr that turned out pretty well for the Mets. The one different time it occurred was 1976, when the Yankees closed April with a 10-3 document (ultimately happening to lose the World Series) whereas the Mets have been pacing the N.L. at 13-7 (they ultimately did not make the playoffs).
The restocked Mets have had phenomenal pitching this season — Friday’s no-hitter was a staff effort within the truest sense — whereas the Yankees’ batters have largely pounded their approach to victory. However the Bombers closed April with an odd one, beating the Kansas Metropolis Royals, 3-0, on Saturday in a recreation during which the runs have been scored on a double-play grounder and two sacrifice flies.
“Once you need to be an entire staff and a very good one, you must discover methods at instances to win in several methods,” Yankees Supervisor Aaron Boone informed reporters after the quirky victory.
Total, the Yankees have had the A.L.’s greatest document getting into Might 1 seven instances since 1962, in keeping with Baseball Reference, whereas the Mets have paced the N.L. 4 instances. Earlier than that, the Yankees had the highest April document within the A.L. 18 instances from 1903 to 1961. In seven of these 18 seasons, the highest April staff within the N.L. was both the Brooklyn Dodgers or the New York Giants.
Now the trick for each of the New York groups is to increase their scorching begins. The Yankees are beginning Might with a highway recreation on Sunday in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Royals, whereas the Mets are scheduled to face the Philadelphia Phillies at residence in a Sunday night time rubber match during which the Mets try to win a sequence for the seventh straight time to begin the season.
