Mets vs. Yankees: How to Watch, Stream, and What to Know

The 2025 City Series proceeds this weekend as the New York Mets welcome the intercity opponent New York Yankees for a trio of games at Citi Field. It could be a Fall Classic preview, though neither group has presented the image of a Fall Classic competitor in recent weeks. There’s still ample time between now and October, however.

“It’s inconsequential what has transpired but what is coming,” Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza expressed on Thursday. “… Currently, we must prepare for another formidable team arriving in the city. The City Series, without a doubt. It will be exhilarating, and we will be prepared.”

Notwithstanding their ongoing downturns, both the Mets and Yankees remain within the top 10 teams in baseball, although they have each descended into the runner-up spot in their respective divisions. Each team approaches this weekend desperately requiring a series triumph. The following are the specifics for this weekend’s iteration of the City Series in Queens. All games are available for streaming on fubo (test it without cost).

The Mets have half a dozen starting pitchers listed as injured (Paul Blackburn, Griffin Canning, Sean Manaea, Tylor Megill, Christian Scott, Kodai Senga) and are examining the limitations of their pitching resources, thus Hagenman and Waddell are receiving opportunities to start (or take on the bulk of the innings) this weekend. The rain postponement from Tuesday and the Wednesday doubleheader complicated matters for the Mets. Challenging times on the pitching front in Queens.

Presented now are four details to note leading into this weekend’s three-game Mets versus Yankees series at Citi Field, accompanied by a forecast, for the sake of it.

1. The Yankees prevailed in their initial encounter

These two squads engaged in a series of three games at Yankee Stadium as a segment of Rivalry Weekend spanning May 16-18. It signified Juan Soto’s homecoming to the Bronx and he was met with something other than a favorable greeting. The Yankees emerged victorious in that series. The ensuing scores are:

In spite of that series setback in May, the Mets have claimed victory in 13 of the most recent 21 City Series contests stretching back to 2021, encompassing eight of the last 10 City Series matchups at Citi Field. The last instance of the Yankees securing a victory in Queens occurred when Max Scherzer initiated the game for the Mets, and current San Diego Padres standout Michael King earned the save. That transpired on June 13, 2023. It feels like an extended duration ago.

2. Soto has elevated his performance

At the time of the Mets and Yankees confrontation in May, it represented the apex of the “what’s ailing Juan Soto???” frenzy. Soto finalized a landmark 15-year contract valued at $765 million over the winter season and commenced the season at a measured pace. That’s measured relative to his typical benchmarks, admittedly. Soto recorded 1 hit in 10 at-bats against his former affiliate to diminish his batting statistics to .246/.379/.443. A career zenith for the majority of players. Grounds for apprehension with Soto.

Nevertheless, throughout the past five weeks approximately, Soto has presented his familiar self, perhaps even transcending his prior form. The NL’s Player of the Month for June has debatably been the league’s preeminent hitter during the last five weeks:

That has elevated Soto’s seasonal batting metrics to a statistic more akin to Soto’s customary output: .260/.396/.500. Furthermore, he has amassed 20 home runs and pilfered 10 bases. The sluggish commencement was merely a sluggish commencement. Not a basis for trepidation. A novel player on a fresh team, and it occasionally necessitates an adjustment period for individuals to acclimate. Baseball participants are also human, despite appearances of superhuman capabilities at the plate, as Soto has lately demonstrated.

Additionally, Aaron Judge has emerged from the slump that affected him last month. Judge batted 2 for 24 with 15 strikeouts across seven games from June 12-18. In the 14 subsequent games, Judge is hitting .348/.531/.761 with five home runs and a higher count of walks (17) in comparison to strikeouts (14). Soto is performing exceptionally, and Judge is performing exceptionally. Two of the foremost hitters in the world are operating at their peak as they enter the City Series.

3. Both teams have endured a challenging sequence of weeks

It will not precisely embody a confrontation of titans this weekend. Both the Mets and Yankees are currently undergoing what they anticipate is the nadir of their respective seasons. The Mets exhibit a 5-14 record in their preceding 19 games while sustaining a scoring differential of 117-61. Conversely, the Yankees hold a 6-14 record in their most recent 20 games. That encompasses enduring a sweep in four games at the hands of the Blue Jays in Toronto earlier in the week. That propelled the Yankees out of the top spot for the first occasion since April 13. Disregarding the spectacle and grandeur of the City Series, these represent two teams that critically require a series triumph this weekend.

4. Who is excelling, and who is underperforming?

Baseball is a pursuit defined by alternating periods of success and periods of struggle. Consistency is fanciful. A .300 hitter is not guaranteed to attain three hits in every ten at-bats, nor does a .300 average necessarily manifest each successive month. A .300 average could characterize a certain month, followed by a .250 average the succeeding month, and .350 the month subsequent to that, and so forth. Predictably, certain Mets and Yankees players are entering this weekend wielding the bat with greater efficacy than others. 

Presented are three players from the visiting Yankees who have performed admirably over the past two weeks (excluding Judge):

Grisham and Rice represented pivotal elements of New York’s achievements in April. Both underwent a slight downturn in May, yet have returned to dependable roles around Judge at the vanguard of the lineup. Domínguez is executing effectively in all facets except the manifestation of power presently. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has proven effective since his return from the injured list, and Cody Bellinger has sustained a level of performance consistently exceeding the average since May.

Inversely, Paul Goldschmidt’s fairytale initiation has concluded (.152/.243/.242 across the last two weeks), and staunch catcher Austin Wells has exhibited a diminished offensive output as he contends with a circulatory ailment in his left hand (.185/.241/.259 over the preceding two weeks). Now presented are three Mets wielding a potent bat in the course of the past 14 days (aside from Soto):

Alonso and McNeil, posting OPS figures proximate to .700, representing the Mets’ two most prolific hitters beyond Nimmo and Soto within the last two weeks, signifies the trials they are presently undergoing. The distinguished Francisco Lindor is experiencing a slump (.222/.246/.444 spanning the last two weeks), and Mark Vientos has failed to yield any substantial impact since his reinstatement from the injured list (.105/.105/.105). The Mets have encountered an arduous journey on the offensive front.

Prediction

Let’s conclude with a prediction. I venture to propose that the Mets will emerge victorious in two of the three games notwithstanding the perceived disadvantage in pitching talent. They will narrowly secure victories on Friday and Saturday, thereby augmenting the Yankees’ losing streak to six games, prior to the Yankees salvaging the series under the guidance of Fried on Sunday. Judge was subjected to intentional walks on five occasions across four games against the Blue Jays this week. I anticipate that the Mets will afford him the four-finger gesture on a minimum of three occasions throughout this weekend.