About Last Night: The Yankees Overshadowed the Mets 6-2

About Last Night: The Yankees Overshadowed the Mets 6-2

By Tim Kabel

May 17, 2025

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The Yankees beat the Mets in a methodical, workmanlike game last night. Surprisingly, they did not hit any home runs. But they had seven walks. The Yankees did what they had to do to win the game. Carlos Rodon was not particularly sharp, and the offense did not pound the Mets into submission. Winning games like this is what makes championship teams.

Quick Stats – 

·       Aaron Judge raised his average to .414 with his 2 hits.

·       This is 29th Subway Series. The Yankees lead the series 85-67. 

·       The Yankees’ two, three, and four hitters were on base eight times. They had seven of the Yankees’ eight hits.

·       Paul Goldschmidt is batting .349 this season and has 58 hits.  He ranks second in the Major Leagues in both categories. I wonder who is first. 

·       Juan Soto was 0-2 with three walks in his return to the Bronx. He is 5-37 with runners in scoring position this season. Best hitter in the history of baseball, indeed.

·       This was Cody Bellinger’s first three-hit game since March 29th.. 

·       Yesterday would have been Billy Martin’s 97th birthday. On May 17th, 1957, several of the Yankees went out to celebrate Martin’s birthday at the Copacabana.  Some members of the crowd began hurling racial slurs at Sammy Davis, Jr., which the Yankees did not like. The subsequent brawl became part of Yankees’ history and led to Martin’s exile to Kansas City. When Yogi Berra was questioned about the incident, he said, “Nobody done nothing to nobody.” When my friend Roger, an official Grammar Police Officer, hears that statement, he actually turns to stone for ten minutes.

Big Story – 

The Yankees are not a perfect team. They are missing their starting second baseman and two members of their starting rotation. They are also missing their starting DH but, Ben Rice is filling in admirably for Giancarlo Stanton. Third base was somewhat of a weak position even before Oswaldo Cabrera went down with that terrible injury. At this point, it is a definite weakness. Yet despite all that, the Yankees are in first place in the American League East. Jazz Chisholm, Jr. will be back fairly soon. Luis Gil is due back at some point. I expect the Yankees to acquire another pitcher and a third baseman. In other words, they will become an even better team. However, the elephant in the room remains what it has always been: the manager. We all know that at some point, the Boone-Swoon is coming. It happens every year. The key for the Yankees is to build up enough of a lead to withstand the inevitable collapse.

Player of the Game –             

Cody Bellinger was 3-5 and scored 2 runs.

Notable Performances -            

Paul Goldschmidt was 2-4 with 2 RBI.          

Devin Williams pitched a scoreless 8th inning with three strikeouts.

Better To Forget-

Besides Judge, Bellinger, and Goldschmidt, the rest of the Yankees’ offense only managed one hit all night.

My Take – 

Juan Soto is a tremendous baseball player. He had a wonderful season for the Yankees last year. He was a finalist for the MVP award. He quite possibly will make the Hall of Fame someday. It is still very early in his career, and you never know what could happen, but if he continues on this trajectory, he will be enshrined in Cooperstown. However, in the long run, the Yankees are probably better off with him finishing his career in Queens instead of the Bronx.

Soto is not a very good outfielder and as he ages, he will become worse. Eventually, he will become a designated hitter. He is not fleet of foot, and as he ages, he will clog the base paths. In the short term, the Yankees have become a deeper and more well-rounded team. Instead of Soto, the Yankees have Goldschmidt, Bellinger, Rice, and Dominguez. They also have Trent Grisham, who is having a tremendous season after being a throw-in in the trade that brought Soto to the Bronx in the first place. I certainly didn't see that coming.

Ideally, Ben Rice, Austin Wells, Jasson Dominguez, and Anthony Volpe will continue to develop this season and into the future. Ultimately, the Yankees may have Spencer Jones, George Lombard, Jr. and some of their young pitchers make it to the Major Leagues and excel. The Yankees are becoming younger and that will continue as some of their young, elite talent develops. It would have been nice to retain Juan Soto but, he is just one player (Juan Solo, if you will). I think it is much better to build a young phalanx of very good bordering on excellent players as opposed to one superstar. Besides, the Yankees still have Aaron Judge, and he shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he is getting better. While Juan Soto may have been Plan A for the Yankees, they may be much better off having gone with Plan B.

Next Up-            

The Yankees will play the second game of the three-game series against the Mets today at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium. Griffin Canning, (5-1, 2.36 ERA) will pitch for the Mets. The Yankees will send Clarke Schmidt, (1-1, 4.73 ERA) to the mound. Let's hope the Yankees put a lid on Canning.