Two wins away from a Subway Series. When the New York Yankees moved on to the American League Championship Series on Thursday night, it marked the first time in 24 years that both New York teams were among the final four in baseball.
The New York Mets, led by Francisco Lindor, had already secured their spot in the NLCS by defeating Philadelphia on Wednesday.
If both teams win four more games, they would face each other in the World Series for the second time, following the 2000 Subway Series, which the Yankees won.
“I can’t imagine what the city would do, man. It would be like it’s about to explode,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo joked on Friday.
“It would be a blast, for sure. It would be a dream scenario. I would enjoy every moment of it, and it would be a story to tell for the rest of my life.”
Nimmo and the Mets practiced on Friday at Citi Field. They will start their best-of-seven NL Championship Series on Sunday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, who are the NL West champions.
Aaron Judge and the Yankees are set to play either Cleveland or Detroit in the ALCS, starting Monday night at Yankee Stadium. The Guardians and Tigers were tied 2-2 going into Game 5 of their ALDS on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Judge said after clinching the Division Series in Kansas City on Thursday night. “It’s going to be a fun time in New York.”
If the NLCS goes to five games, there will be a playoff game in New York City every day next week from Monday to Friday — with the first two games at Yankee Stadium and the next three at Citi Field.
“I think it’s amazing to have two New York teams still in it,” Nimmo said. “New York has always felt like a baseball town to me, and the vibe right now is unbelievable. You can definitely feel the excitement in the city.”
Both teams have players from the area, including Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, Mets reliever Adam Ottavino, and Mets center fielder Harrison Bader, who played for the Yankees from 2022-23.
“Hopefully we see each other,” Mets rookie manager Carlos Mendoza said during a Zoom call from Citi Field. “It would be an unbelievable experience.”
Mendoza spent 15 years with the Yankees organization, including the last four as bench coach for manager Aaron Boone across town.
He mentioned that he watched the Yankees defeat the Royals 3-1 on Thursday night, led by ace Gerrit Cole, to win their best-of-five Division Series in four games and reach the ALCS for the fourth time in eight years.
“I texted a lot of people. There are many people I respect a lot,” Mendoza said. “And it’s just great. It’s great for baseball and for New York City that both teams are in this position and have a good chance to keep going.”
The Yankees are in the ALCS for the 19th time, but they haven’t won a pennant since claiming their 27th World Series title in 2009.
“They are a really good team. They have a great manager and strong players. That’s a deep roster,” Mendoza said. “They deserve this.”
The Mets have reached the NLCS for the ninth time and for the first time since their 2015 World Series appearance, which they lost to Kansas City. They are aiming for their third World Series championship, and their first since 1986.
During the regular season, the Mets swept all four Subway Series matchups against the Yankees, winning twice at each stadium and outscoring them 36-14.
“The Mets have had an incredible season,” Judge said. “It’s going to be exciting to look forward to the chance to face them again.”
