Yankees vs Mets

Lore & Background

Until interleague play started, the two teams had only met in exhibition games. Since the inception of interleague play, the two teams have played each other in every regular season since 1997. From 1999 through 2012, they have played six games per season: two three-game series (one series in each team's ballpark). In 2013–2022, the two teams met six games a season when the AL East and NL East faced each other and four games (two at each park) the other years. In 2023, all MLB teams started facing each other; they played four games each in 2023 and 2024 and played six games in 2025. Both clubs have qualified for the postseason in the same season on six occasions: , , , , , and ; the two teams faced off in the 2000 World Series. Analysts of the game have commented that the rivalry is the best reason for interleague play.

Reader's Guide

1962–96: Formation of the Mets, Mayor's Trophy and pre-interleague era. Background and formation of Mets: The Mets–Yankees rivalry has its origins in the histories of the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and Yankees, the three Major League Baseball teams of New York City from 1903 to 1957. For most of that time, the Giants played in Manhattan, the Dodgers in Brooklyn, and the Yankees in the Bronx. Throughout their time in New York, the three teams chronicled a fierce intra-city rivalry.

The Dodgers–Giants rivalry was formed by both teams' competition for dominance in the National League, exemplified by Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round the World in the 1951 National League tie-breaker series. The Yankees, as the city's only American League team, would form the Giants–Yankees rivalry and Dodgers–Yankees rivalry around their multiple Subway Series competitions with the two teams, where the Yankees would compile a 10–3 record in the thirteen all-New York World Series.

However, in , both of New York's National League teams moved to California, the Giants to San Francisco to become the San Francisco Giants, and the Dodgers to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees were New York City's only Major League Baseball team until from 1958–, when the expansion Mets joined the National League. The Mets sought to create a fan base from fans of the departed National League teams, and adopted the Giants' NY insignia in the Giant color of orange set against a cap of Dodger blue, colors that also adorn the New York City flag and coat of arms.

The Mets played their first two seasons in the Giants' old stadium, the Polo Grounds, before moving into Shea Stadium in the borough of Queens. Mayor's Trophy: Before the creation of interleague play, teams from the National League never played teams from the American League in official games except during the World Series. The teams occasionally met in spring training exhibition games and played 19 times in the Mayor's Trophy Game, an in-season exhibition game, every year from 1963 through 1979, and then again in 1982 and 1983; the Yankees posted a record of 10–8–1 over the Mets in the Mayor's Trophy contests.

The Mayor's Trophy games were played primarily to benefit sandlot baseball in the city, with proceeds going to the city's Amateur Baseball Federation.

Historical Roots and the Mayor's Trophy

The origins of this rivalry trace back to New York City's baseball history before the Mets existed. From 1903 to 1957, the city hosted three teams: the Yankees in the Bronx, while the Giants and Dodgers competed for National League dominance in Manhattan and Brooklyn respectively. The departure of both NL teams to California in 1958 left the Yankees as the sole major league franchise until the expansion Mets arrived in 1962. Seeking to inherit the legacy of the departed clubs, the new team adopted colors reflecting the Giants' orange and Dodgers' blue, initially playing at the Polo Grounds before moving to Shea Stadium.

Before official interleague play began, these teams met exclusively in exhibition contests known as the Mayor's Trophy Game. Held annually from 1963 through 1979 with sporadic returns later, these matches benefited local sandlot baseball programs. The Yankees held a slight edge in this era, posting a 10–8–1 record against their crosstown neighbors before the series was discontinued due to waning interest and owner disputes.

The Dawn of Official Interleague Play

A transformative shift occurred in 1997 when Major League Baseball officially sanctioned regular-season games between the American and National Leagues. The inaugural Subway Series matchup took place on June 16 at Yankee Stadium, where the Mets secured a surprising 6–0 victory led by pitcher Dave Mlicki, though the Yankees reclaimed momentum to win the series. This era marked the beginning of consistent annual competition, evolving from occasional exhibitions to a structured fixture of the schedule.

By 1998, the rivalry intensified as the Yankees clinched their first of three consecutive World Series titles while the Mets narrowly missed the playoffs after acquiring star catcher Mike Piazza. A unique milestone was achieved by David Cone, who became the only player in history to record twenty wins for both franchises, having accomplished the feat with the Mets a decade prior before repeating it with the Bronx Bombers.

The 2000 World Series and Historic Doubleheader

The rivalry reached its zenith during the 2000 season when both teams not only qualified for the postseason but eventually faced one another in the World Series. The regular season featured a historic anomaly on July 8, where the clubs played an unusual day-night doubleheader with games split between Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium. This event marked the first time since 1903 that two teams competed in different stadiums within the same day. Dwight Gooden pitched six innings for the Yankees in his return to New York, while Roger Clemens secured the nightcap victory; both contests ended with identical 4–2 scores. Ultimately, this intense regular-season battle set the stage for a championship showdown where the Yankees defeated the Mets, capping off a year defined by unprecedented interleague drama and high stakes.

Modern Scheduling and Playoff Coincidences

Since the inception of interleague play in 1997, the frequency of meetings between these two franchises has fluctuated based on league scheduling rules. Analysts frequently cite this intense crosstown competition as the primary justification for the existence of interleague play in Major League Baseball.