The New York Mets are riding a wave of momentum as they prepare to host the Yankees in the first Subway Series of 2026, kicking off Friday night at 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field. After a rocky April that left fans questioning the team's direction, the Mets have found their stride in May, posting an 8-4 record and winning three of their last four series.
Their latest statement came Thursday afternoon with a dominant 9-3 victory over the Tigers, completing their first three-game sweep of the season. The offense exploded for 22 runs across the series, including a season-high five home runs in the finale. This kind of firepower is exactly what the Mets need heading into a clash with their crosstown rivals.
"Obviously we've been struggling for a while, but I wouldn't say we got down on ourselves," said Nolan McLean, who earned his second win on Thursday. "We know how good our clubhouse is. At the end of the day, we're not worried about anybody else."
The timing couldn't be better. While the Yankees enter with a strong 27-17 record—good for fifth-best in MLB—they've dropped six of their last eight games. For a Mets team still climbing out of an early-season hole, this feels like a golden opportunity to make a statement.
"Not the Subway Series, I would say the whole season," star Juan Soto said. "You just gotta keep the momentum all the way to October. It was a start we didn't want, but it's the right time to get hot."
The catalysts behind this recent surge? A pair of rookies with a combined 43 games of big-league experience. A.J. Ewing, called up Tuesday to spark a stagnant lineup, wasted no time making an impact. In his third game, the 21-year-old top prospect crushed his first career home run—a 405-foot solo shot that had the Citi Field crowd buzzing. Through his first three games, he's 3-for-9 with four runs, three RBI, a triple, a stolen base, and four walks, showing the kind of all-around game that has scouts excited.
"I think this clubhouse just feeds off each other," Ewing said, embodying the youthful energy that has breathed new life into the Mets. With the Subway Series on deck, New York's baseball fans are in for a thrilling weekend.