The 2015 World Series is here, and the New York Mets have a chance to win it all for the first time since the Subway Series fifteen years ago. As for the Yankees, they were unable to advance farther than the American League Wildcard game against Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros. Was the Yankees’ season a failure? How successful were the Mets this season, and did they overachieve to advance to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2000?

The Yankees entered the season having not made it to the playoffs two years in a row. And many believed that the team’s aging, injured roster would lead to yet another discouraging season. Despite this negativity, the Yanks remained right in the mix in the AL East, largely due to the incredible first halves from Jacoby Ellsbury, all-star Brett Gardner, veteran Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. Not even A-Rod knew how he was going to bounce back after serving his 162-game suspension in 2014, saying in Spring Training, “You always have doubt; I haven’t played in a long time.” However, for the first months of the season, he hit a respectable .278 with 18 home runs and 51 RBIs. The Yankees offense carried the team, and at the Trade Deadline on July 31, they led their division by six games. It seemed like the overachieving Yankees were headed for the playoffs.                                         

However, as the season came to a close, the Yankees offense that had been so successful all year long started slumping. Many offensive leaders, including Ellsbury and Gardner, cooled off and their six-game lead was lost to the surging Blue Jays. Questions began to surface regarding the Yankees’ unreliable pitching rotation and the impotent bats, and the team limped into the playoffs, barely managing to clinch the Wildcard. Unfortunately, they were shut out 3-0 by the Astros in Yankee Stadium.

When summarizing the Yankees’ season, one could say the year was both a success and a failure. Little was expected from them heading into the season, and many were surprised at how well the Yanks swung the bats early in the season. But that surprising offense did eventually slow down as they blew a seemingly comfortable six-game lead in the AL East. The Yankees were able to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2012, but they were shut out in their only game, perhaps a microcosm of their disappointing second half.

The Mets faced an opposite scenario in the 2015 season. The team got off to a slow start due to a struggling offense and pitching staff. The Nationals were expected to win the division as many fans thought of them as potential World Series champions. To exemplify the Mets’ initial offensive struggles, manager Terry Collins was at one point placing John Mayberry Jr., who had a .170 batting average, in the cleanup spot.

It seemed as if the Mets were going to miss the playoffs yet again after their underwhelming first few months of baseball. And on July 29, things took a turn for the worse when it was reported that shortstop Wilmer Flores would be traded to the Brewers for outfielder Carlos Gomez. This was simply a false rumor that was reported as news. Blown out of proportion thanks largely in part to social media, it led to an embarrassing situation for the Mets organization.

Following this incident, the Mets turned the corner by trading for Yoenis Céspedes from the Tigers. Céspedes immediately ignited a neon green spark to his new club, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 44 RBI’s. This offense became contagious, and the team went from having one of the worst offenses in the game to one of the best. Captain David Wright returned from the disabled list with an offensive splash as well. Everything seemed to be going “Wright” for the team as they headed into the final stretch of the season.

“Did anybody expect this? I don’t think you could have drawn it up like this. It’s been fun to watch. It’s been exciting,” said hitting coach Kevin Long. Along with their offense, the Mets also used their incredible starting rotation to climb in the standings. The Nationals struggled in the second half of the season, allowing the Mets to surpass them and eventually win the division by seven games.

If one was asked at the beginning of the season which New York team was most likely to make the playoffs, the answer may well have been “neither.” Despite a promising start, the Bronx Bombers didn’t live up to their nickname as their offense and pitching became shaky down the stretch. As for the Mets, they managed to turn their season around and are now in the World Series. We shall see if they can carry their momentum and take advantage of their now electric bats and pitching staff to claim a title.