NEW YORK — If enough people linger outside the visiting clubhouse at Citi Field, the line can stretch toward the mascot dressing room. That’s where it reached late Sunday afternoon, after the New York Yankees dropped a series to their crosstown rivals in Queens. The New York Mets’ mischief maker sensed an opportunity.
Like a seamhead Santa bearing gifts no one wanted, Mr. Met merrily gave out his bobblehead to the bewildered children of the Yankees. They’re not supposed to like this guy – but, well, the Yankees don’t have a mascot, and it’s rude to give back a present, so… sure, the kids took the boxes with a smile.
But you can’t blame the parents if they tossed the dolls in the trash.
The Yankees would rather banish all reminders of this lost weekend. They won on Friday, but did it at the cost of old friend Clay Holmes, the Mets starter who broke his leg on a line drive. Then they fell on Saturday and Sunday, both games marred by slapstick defense and ragged relief pitching.
“We just had a terrible road trip,” manager Aaron Boone said after Sunday’s 7-6 loss in 10 innings. And while Boone spoke specifically of the bullpen, the comment stands on its own. The Yankees lost seven of nine games: three in Milwaukee, and two apiece to the Baltimore Orioles and the Mets.
When they left home after a win on May 7, the Yankees held first place in the American League East. They return to the Bronx on Monday trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by three games. They will host the Toronto Blue Jays for four games and the Rays for three, a stretch that could say a lot about them.
“We’ve got to have a short memory,” Aaron Judge said. “Big division opponent coming in.”
He meant the Blue Jays, the defending A.L. champions who are 21-25 but coming off a series win in Detroit. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t hit much, but he homered on Sunday and always seems eager to torment the Yankees.
The Blue Jays manhandled the Yankees in 2025, of course, winning 11 of 17 matchups — including three of four in October, when they battered New York for 50 hits in 34 innings. Now the Yankees, at 28-19, are six and a half games better than the Blue Jays.
But last autumn’s memories loom large.
“Any time a team knocks you out of the postseason, you can’t wait to see them again,” Judge said. “I haven’t watched many of their games yet; I know a couple of their guys are banged up a little bit. I’m looking forward (to) tonight, doing a little research on them, see what they’ve got and get ready for a four-game series against them.
“They’re a great ballclub; they’ve got a great up-and-down-the-lineup of guys that can swing the bat, put the ball in play and hit it out of the park, and a good pitching staff. So it’s just going to be a good matchup, but I think the boys are ready.”
The Yankees should have an advantage on Monday, with Ryan Weathers (1.88 ERA in his last four starts) facing Patrick Corbin. Then it’s Will Warren against AL strikeout leader Dylan Cease on Tuesday, followed by a pair of dynamic second-year righties — Cam Schlittler and Trey Yesavage — on Wednesday. Carlos Rodón starts on Thursday, with the Blue Jays undecided, and then Tampa Bay comes to town.
For almost 20 years now, it’s been foolish to doubt the Rays, who swept the Yankees at Tropicana Field last month. But the Yankees do have an overwhelming edge in run differential, outscoring opponents by 68 runs this season. That’s easily the best in the lackluster AL, with the Rays second at +25.
So why are the Yankees trailing Tampa Bay in the standings? One-run games seem like a big reason. Only the Tigers have more one-run losses than the Yankees, who are 3-10 in those games.
It’s easy to point to the bullpen as the problem, but the Yankees’ relievers are better than most; 11th in the majors in ERA (3.60) and WHIP (1.29) and tied for 10th in homers allowed (16). The Yankees will upgrade their bullpen in time, because all contenders do, and their luck in one-run games will almost certainly get better.
“They’re all capable of getting big outs,” Boone said. “Obviously, starting pitching goes a long way in setting it up.”
The Yankees have the third-best starters’ ERA in the majors at 3.10, trailing only the Atlanta Braves (2.88) and the Rays (2.94). Not coincidentally, the Braves and Rays have the two best records in the sport.
If Max Fried’s elbow holds together (and the Yankees believe they avoided the worst), this midseason break might make him stronger in the playoffs. Rodón and Gerrit Cole, who could return by the end of the month, will also have seasons of fewer than 30 starts.
As the Los Angeles Dodgers showed last fall, it’s smart to get your luxury cars to the starting line without blowing out their engines on the way. The Yankees’ depth should allow them to taper back the younger guys, too, if needed.
When it matters most, the best arms will get the biggest outs; the late-inning game plan in May is a lot different than it will be in October. If David Bednar still has a 1.55 WHIP by then, Boone won’t keep giving him the ball.
The Yankees can assert themselves this week against the Blue Jays and Rays, and the games should be fun. Winning, say, five of seven would restore some of the sheen that wore off on the road.
Whatever happens, though, the Yankees are a very good team, and a very bad trip doesn’t change that. Even if they did give Mr. Met a rare chance to gloat.
