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Yankees Made the Mets Look Foolish Once Again
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- Yankees Made the Mets Look Foolish Once Again
Yankees Made the Mets Look Foolish Once Again
(Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
It's really hard to consider the New York Yankees and New York Mets "rivals." Not only are they not in the same division, but they play in entirely different leagues. And let's be honest: there really is no contest here.
The Yankees have 27 World Series championships to the Mets' two, and the Mets have not won a title since 1986. The Yanks always defeated the Amazins in their one Fall Classic meeting back in 2000.
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Yeah, the Mets signed Juan Soto away from the Bronx Bombers in December 2024. That's the one feather that Steve Cohen has in his cap , and it was basically his version of a World Series ring. Otherwise, let's face it: there isn't much to talk about.
And to add insult to injury, the Yankees have turned a former Mets outcast into one of the most reliable relief pitchers in baseball.
That pitcher would be Paul Blackburn, who posted a 6.00 ERA across parts of two seasons in Queens before being released last August. Blackburn promptly signed with the Yankees, who took an obvious liking to him right away.
I'll be completely transparent: I was very skeptical of Blackburn at first. I was earlier this season , and in a sense, I still am. But you can't argue with results.
New York Yankees pitcher Paul Blackburn. Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images.
The right-hander owns a 1.80 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through 48 appearances this season, allowing just 47 hits over 70 innings of work. Opposing hitters have a .559 OPS against Blackburn, and while he doesn't have electrifying stuff (7.33 K/9), it works for him.
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Suddenly, Blackburn has turned himself into one of the Yankees' most reliable bullpen pieces, and he is being used in high-leverage situations more and more as we get deeper into the 2026 campaign.
The Yankees loved what they saw from Blackburn last year, this even though he posted a 5.28 ERA in eight appearances with the team. To be fair, one really bad outing inflated his ERA. Otherwise, he was actually pretty solid.
Yes, there are still reasons to be cynical about Blackburn. His 3.58 xERA is a bit concerning, as is his 2.11 K/BB ratio. His .222 BABIP also indicates that he is getting a bit lucky, but his uncanny ability to induce ground balls (57.3 percent in 2026) certainly has a lot to do with that.
Is Blackburn just a one-year wonder? Or is he another example of the Yankees turning a pedestrian pitcher into gold?
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Whatever the case may be, the 32-year-old has been quite the asset in pinstripes, and here's the real kicker: he is making just $2 million this season.
Meanwhile, Cohen is paying former Yankees bust Devin Williams $51 million over three years, only to watch him post a 4.66 ERA before hitting the injured list earlier this month.
The Yankees got the last laugh at the expense of their crosstown "rivals." Again.
