As the offseason progresses, many Major League Baseball teams have been acquiring players and making deals in an attempt to better themselves for the approaching 2015 season. The goal of each team is to reach the postseason and win the World Series. When one thinks of the New York team with the best Series odds, one doesn’t usually consider the Mets as a possible contender. However, which team really has the better chance of making a postseason run this year? Will the Yankees miss out on the playoffs for their third consecutive year? Will the Mets make the playoffs for the first time since 2006?

After a disappointing season filled with injuries and poor offense, the Yankees missed the playoffs for a second straight season in 2014. Despite their numerous moves last offseason, the team performed underwhelmingly in a number of departments. The team batted a mediocre .245 and had to rely on pitching to win a majority of their games. So far this offseason, the Yankees’ main priority seems to be making the team younger, with the signing of 24-year-old Didi Gregorius from the Diamondbacks and Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones and Domingo German from the Marlins. Surprisingly, the Yankees have opted to release several of their pitchers, including Shane Greene, David Phelps, Preston Claiborne, and closer David Robertson. Brian Cashman, the general manager of the team, seems to be focused on altering the pitching staff and filling his bullpen with flamethrowers.

However, work still needs to be done.  In order for the Yankees to be successful next season, their veterans will have to do a much better job of hitting in clutch situations. The team as a whole will have to score more runs, especially in a division in which many teams have already acquired big bats.

Questions regarding the pitching remain. Will CC Sabathia return and help the team win? How will Masahiro Tanaka fare returning off of the disabled list? The future of the Yankees organization seems cloudy at the moment, and with Derek Jeter having left the Bronx last season, no one can claim to be the current face of the franchise. The Yankees, for the time being, seem to have lost that winning spirit and competitive identity that has defined them for so long.

The Mets have stayed relatively quiet thus far in the offseason. However, the team did acquire Michael Cuddyer from the Rockies in early November. The organization hopes he can offensively add to the team. Sandy Alderson, the Mets’ general manager, said the move “was a way to clearly upgrade our team and our lineup.”

The Mets appear to intend to be strong competitors next season. With Matt Harvey and Rookie of the Year, Jacob deGrom both returning, I would argue that the team has a chance.  Especially considering the status of the shaky eastern division they reside in. However, similar to the Yankees, the Mets still have some holes that should be addressed. While two of the three outfield positions are already filled with Juan Lagares in center and Cutis Granderson in right, one wonders how 35-year-old Cuddyer will adjust to playing outfield in the new ballpark in Citi Field. Another position that is questionable for the Mets is shortstop. Last year, this position was filled by Rubén Tejada, who posted an underwhelming .237 batting average and only drove in 34 runs. Alderson has several players that could be of potential interest, including Starlin Castro, Everth Cabrera, Troy Tulowitzki, or Wilmer Flores. Whoever ends up as the Mets’ shortstop in the 2015 season will have to supply at least decent offense if the Mets are to be successful.

Both New York teams have pros and cons that will assist and hurt them in the upcoming season. While the Yankees are in the midst of finding a new identity, the Mets seem to be on a potential rise, with young stars starting to shine. However, the Yankees do have experience, and if there’s one thing the Yankees franchise is good at, it’s getting talent as quickly as possible and in any way possible. We’ll have to see what each team does throughout the rest of the offseason and how they play once the 2015 season gets underway.