The Yankees and Mets Are Both Falling Apart. One Is in Way Worse Shape.

The last week of June was not kind to New York baseball. The Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza after a 34-47 start. The Yankees got swept at Fenway by a Red Sox team that is still ten games under .500. Both teams are heading into July with different problems. One might actually be fixable.

Let’s start with the Mets. Mendoza is gone after just 81 games. Andy Green took over, lost two of three to the Phillies, and now the Mets are 34-49. No one thinks firing the manager turns this into a playoff team. The real question is how deep David Stearns goes with the trades. David Peterson was shipped to the Cubs already. If the Mets keep losing to the Blue Jays and Braves this week, the sell-off could get aggressive.

The Yankees are somehow in worse shape despite being 22 games better than the Mets in the standings. They are 48-34 and still in first place in the AL East. But the vibes are terrible. The Red Sox no-hit them through four innings in three straight games. Sonny Gray took a no-no into the eighth on Sunday. Austin Wells has a batting average that fans are comparing to Joey Gallo. That is not a compliment. The Yankees host the Tigers and Twins this week, which is a chance to reset.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers stayed at No. 1. They swept the Twins and took two of three from the Padres. Kyle Tucker had his best game as a Dodger on Saturday. Four RBI. A 15-3 win. If Tucker starts hitting like the guy they paid for in free agency, the Dodgers might be unstoppable before October. They visit the Athletics next.

The Braves have hit a real skid. Twelve of their last sixteen are losses. They got swept by the Padres and dropped two of three to the Giants. Drake Baldwin came back from the IL and is 2-for-43. Bryce Elder gave up 19 runs in his last three starts. Atlanta is still 49-33 but that lead in the NL East is down to three games. They face the Cardinals and Mets at home this week.

The Brewers reached 50 wins before anyone else in the league. But they dropped two of three to the Cubs over the weekend and the NL Central lead is down to 5.5 games. Milwaukee has owned Cincinnati for years (92-55 since 2017) but the Cubs are lurking. The Brewers host the Reds and visit the Diamondbacks.

The Rays are back in first place in the AL East after splitting with the Royals and sweeping the Diamondbacks. Junior Caminero hit three homers in one game and then homered in every game against Arizona. He had 45 homers last year and already has 22 this season. His defense is still a question but the bat is a force. Tampa visits Kansas City and Houston.

The Phillies are three games back in the NL East after taking three of four from the Nationals and two of three from the Mets. Kyle Schwarber has 30 homers already. He reached that mark faster than any Phillie ever. He is chasing 60. Christopher Sanchez is pitching like a Cy Young candidate. The Phillies host the Pirates before visiting the Royals.

The Padres swept the Braves and then dropped two of three to the Dodgers. But Fernando Tatis Jr. has his OPS over .800 and the team is trending up. They face the Cubs and Dodgers on the road this week.

The Cubs swept the Mets and took two of three from the Brewers. That puts them 5.5 games back in the division. They traded for David Peterson to help the injured rotation. The Cubs host the Padres and Cardinals.

The Guardians and White Sox are tied for the AL Central lead. Cleveland took two of three from the Mariners after losing two of three to the White Sox. Chicago had a 22-run game against the Royals and Miguel Vargas is thriving in Munetaka Murakami’s absence. Both teams have a real chance to run away with that division.

The rest of the league is a mix of good teams that are struggling and bad teams that probably aren’t going anywhere. The Orioles are slipping at 39-46. The Astros have won seven of their last ten and are one game out of first place. The Rockies are the worst team in baseball. The Angels fired their GM. The Giants are dealing with a PR disaster on top of being 35-48. It is June. There is a lot of baseball left. But for the teams in New York, the urgency is already here.