Back in June, the Yankees were being talked about as a team destined for October greatness, marching towards a historic finish that would rival some of the best teams in franchise history.
Now, World Series fever hasn't quite left the City, but it doesn't seem to be taking over the Bronx anymore.
No, that craze has now hit Queens, where the streaking Mets suddenly look like the team built to chase down a title, while the Yankees fall further and further behind.
The Mets were nine games back of the Yankees' league-leading record back on July 8, and now, they are two games ahead of the pace of their crosstown rival. In that span, they have beat the Yanks twice in as many games, have gotten back the best pitcher in the business in Jacob deGrom, and their $341 million shortstop has begun playing like the superstar the Mets paid for, as Francisco Lindor now leads all MLB shortstops in WAR, per FanGraphs, after reaching base four times in Wednesday's blowout win over the Reds.
It's the Mets who look like they have the manager who can press all the right buttons in late and close October games, while Yankees skipper Aaron Boone fields questions about bringing in the struggling Albert Abreu to protect a one-run lead, a lead that quickly vanished in Wednesday's loss to the Mariners. Speaking of the bullpen, after all the talk was about Clay Holmes earlier in the season, the craze has shifted to the Mets bullpen and Edwin Diaz, who now has his signature song to go along with his dominant numbers.
Suddenly, the Mets are healthy and firing on all cylinders, and the banged-up Yankees are scuffling. The Mets' trade deadline acquisitions, previously criticized as nothing more than marginal improvements, have been home runs so far, while the Yankees struggle to get any production out of their lineup outside of Aaron Judge.
Things change quickly in a City that moves at a pace as fast as New York. It could change again, but right now, the Mets seem to be the Big Apple team with big expectations.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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