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New York panic meter: Should Yankees or Mets be more concerned?

Whether it's injuries, pitching or straight-up delusion, both teams have looked prettier.
ByJoseph Kallan|
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) and center fielder Trent Grisham (12) return to the dugout after the eighth inning of the MLB interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The Reds won 5-4 in 11 innings.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) and center fielder Trent Grisham (12) return to the dugout after the eighth inning of the MLB interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The Reds won 5-4 in 11 innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s been a weird time to be a baseball fan in New York. Both the Yankees and Mets sit 11 games above .500, both rosters boast superstar sluggers and both have frontline pitchers posting elite ERAs.

Yet somehow, both teams have fans asking the same question: How did we get here?

The Yankees' baffling extra-inning struggles continued in a 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night that made it nine losses in their last 12 games. Their AL East lead is now down to just a game over the Tampa Bay Rays, and emotions are beginning to bubble over as the team's offense can't quite get on track when it needs to.

The Mets, meanwhile, are just 1-10 in their last 11 games, including five losses against hated Atlanta Braves over just the last week. The pitching that carried this team to the NL East lead has begun to fall apart, and a banged-up offense hasn't gotten the step forward from its young bats that it hoped it would.

The vibes, in other words, are not great in the Big Apple right now. But the season is still relatively young, and both of these teams are still safely ensconced in the playoff bracket as things stand. So: Which team should be panicking, and which should be preaching patience? Which team's slump is a warning sign, and which is a fluke? Let's break it down.

Yankees Panic Meter: 7

Back on June 12th, after sweeping the Kansas City Royals, the Yankees were flying high at 42–25, holding a strong lead in the AL East and riding hot bats. But 30 scoreless innings later, their first run finally came — and the unraveling had begun.

Since that sweep, the Yankees have gone just 3–9, with several of their top hitters cooling off:

  • Aaron Judge: Batting average dropped from .390 to .364
  • Paul Goldschmidt: Down to .288
  • Anthony Volpe: 0-for-25 stretch, paired with shaky defense

Pitching hasn’t been the issue. The Yankees’ big three — Clarke Schmidt, Carlos Rodón and Max Fried — have all maintained ERAs under 3.00. But while the rotation has delivered, the bullpen has combusted.

New York now owns a 1–6 record in extra innings, including a Tuesday night loss to the Reds in the 11th. In three of their last four series, they’ve dropped at least one game in extras. Outside of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, the bullpen has become a liability — and Aaron Boone’s reluctance to make timely changes has only amplified the problem.

At some point, the offense will start to perk up. Clutch stats are notoriously subject to regression, and you'd think that would break in New York's favor. Still, this recent stretch has exposed how thin this pitching staff really is, and how reliant the lineup is on Aaron Judge to lead the way.

Mets Panic Meter: 6

If Yankee fans are rattled, Mets fans might be worse off. They've dropped 10 of their last 11. Unlike their Bronx counterparts, run support hasn’t been the issue — it’s the pitching that’s sinking the ship. The Mets have allowed five or more runs in 10 of those 11 games, often before the fifth inning.

Offensively, things are uneven:

  • Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have seen their batting averages dip
  • Juan Soto's average is steady, but his OPS, OBP and SLG have all improved
  • Brandon Nimmo has cooled to a .251 average

The injury report hasn’t helped either:

  • Jesse Winker, Mark Vientos and Jose Siri are all on the IL
  • Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea are out for at least two more weeks
  • Multiple relievers have landed on the 15-day IL just in the last two weeks

Perspective: Stay calm, New York

Despite the current turbulence, there’s no need for full-blown panic. The season hasn’t even hit the halfway mark. There’s time to heal, time to adjust and, most importantly, time to get back on track.

If there’s one concern that feels more urgent, it’s the Yankees’ bullpen situation. The lineup is still stacked, but unless Boone and the front office address the late-game relief issues, tight games will keep slipping away.

In the long run, though, both fan bases should take a breath. It’s a 162-game marathon. Keep an eye on who’s thriving, let the rest settle, and remember: the season is far from over.

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