Yankees sweep Mets in Subway Series: 3 things each club learned

Mets learned they need home-field advantage

The Yankees learned this in July, and the Mets learned it at Yankee Stadium. The Mets have a two-game lead in the loss column on the Yankees, something they need to protect in the event they face off with the Yankees in the World Series this year.

The energy clearly transferred to the home team in all four games this year. With such talented teams on both sides of the ball, if these two face off it very well could come down to who has home-field to determine this year’s winner.

Mets fans can try all they want to get LGM chants going in the Bronx, but it’s going to be tough when things like this happen.

Yankees learned they can beat World Series-caliber teams

The Yankees have really struggled against World Series caliber teams this year.

Yes, we know the Blue Jays (5-2 against) and Tampa Bay Rays (8-5 against) were projected to be in that category preseason and that the Yankees have done well against them, but neither team deserves to be called a World Series competitor at this point.

And let’s not forget the surprise of their division, the Baltimore Orioles. Though they’ve been surprisingly competitive, the Yankees have handled them, taking 11 of the 16 games against.

New York has also faired well outside of their division against teams like the White Sox (4-3 against).

But take a quick scan of the schedule and let me know what wins prove they can go all the way? Anything other than a championship will be a disappointment in the Bronx this year, yet they’re underperforming dramatically against teams of the late fall caliber. They’re 2-5 against the Houston Astros, losing every single game in Houston this year. They don’t play the Dodgers this year, but there’s been little to prove they can play up to a team of that caliber.

The closest taste the Yankees have gotten in interleague play was the Mets. Before the Bronx series, the Queens series showed the Yankees weren’t even close to competing with the top-end National League teams.

Winning two in a row against a quality, battle-tested Mets team has to instill some confidence, not only for a prospective matchup against the Mets, but also against any team they could face in October and November.