It's uncharacteristic, but with the season not even a month old, the Mets and Yankees will take the field this weekend at Yankee Stadium for the Subway Series -- and it may be the most intriguing clash between these two New York City rivals in years.
With both teams currently surging, a rare April three-game set is slated for the Bronx starting Friday night and there is plenty of fascinating aspects to this battle between the Amazin's from Queens and the Bronx Bombers.
With the first pitch of the 2015 Subway Series set to occur Friday night, here are 10 things to watch for entering the trio of contests.
10) Amazin' Start: The Mets are riding a franchise record-matching 11-game winning streak into the Subway Series and their 13-3 start is not only the best record in baseball, but it also matches the club's best all-time mark through the first 16 games of a season. Terry Collins' club also went 10-0 on their first homestand of the 2015 campaign, setting a franchise record for consecutive victories at home to start a season.
9) Red-hot Yankees: While their recent run may not be as widely publicized as the Mets, the Yankees have been on their own roll as of late. After a rocky start to the campaign, Joe Girardi's club has rattled off wins in six of their last seven games. The Yankees visited Detroit this week for a four-game series with the Tigers, who came into the set with a 10-2 record, and notched victories in three of the four contests, propelling themselves into a share of first place with two other teams in the AL East.
8) O Captain! No Captain!: A familiar face that will be missing from this Subway Series is Derek Jeter, who retired at the end of the 2014 season. The Yankee captain was masterful against the Mets in his career, hitting .364 with 13 homers and 44 RBI through 360 at-bats.
The Mets are also without their captain for this series as David Wright is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Wright owns a .307 batting average in his career against the Yankees with nine homers and 34 RBI through 162 at-bats.
7) Orange & Blue, Black & Blue: Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Mets streak is the fact that injuries have mounted and the team hasn't wavered. Aside from Wright, the Amazin's lost Zack Wheeler (Tommy John surgery) before the season started and relievers Josh Edgin (Tommy John), Bobby Parnell (Tommy John) and Vic Black (shoulder) have also not thrown a pitch in 2015. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud was off to a very hot start when he went down with a fractured hand while left-handed specialist Jerry Blevins -- who was 15-for-15 in getting southpaws out -- fractured his forearm in the same inning d'Arnaud went down. Closer Jenrry Mejia was also injured and subsequently suspended 80 games for using a banned substance.
6) Chasing Mays: Alex Rodriguez has been the source of one of the most intriguing storylines surrounding the Yankees this year as he returned after serving a season-long suspension for the Biogenesis scandal and his use of performance-enhancing drugs. A-Rod is hitting .265 on the campaign and has 11 RBI, but he also has 17 strikeouts in 49 at-bats. More importantly, Rodriguez, who also leads the AL with 13 walks, has four homers thus far, giving him 658 for his career. That means Rodriguez is two homers shy of tying Willie Mays for fourth on the all-time home run list, which would trigger a $6 million bonus for the slugger. The Yankees have vowed not to pay up for the milestone due to Rodriguez's PED infraction, which will likely set up a fascinating war between the club and the MLB Players' Association. The MLBPA doesn't want to set a precedent of team's not honoring contracts.
5) Young Guns: The Yankees are facing two of the Mets premiere pitchers in Games 1 and 2 as 2014 Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom mans the mound on Friday and "The Dark Knight" Matt Harvey toes the rubber on Saturday. DeGrom made his MLB debut against the Bronx Bombers last season and took a scoreless effort into the seventh inning. DeGrom, 26, rides a scoreless streak of 18.1 innings into the series. Harvey, who is dealing with a minor foot injury, has picked up right where he left off after missing the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery. Harvey, 26, is 3-0 with a 3.50 ERA through his first three starts.
4) Struggling Stars: While the Yankees pitching has mostly held its own this season, some of the bats in the Bronx are silent. Carlos Beltran is hitting just .184 on the season while Didi Gregorius (.200) and Stephen Drew (.178) aren't contributing much. Catcher Brian McCann has just one homer in 2015 while Jacoby Ellsbury has only one RBI. Mark Teixeira has launched five homers this season, but his average is a measly .196.
3) Familiar Faces: Both teams have players that have competed for the opposing club during their careers. Among the Yankees who have played in Queens are Beltran and Chris Young, who is scorching right now. Young, who was unceremoniously dumped by the Mets last season, is hitting .357 with four homers in 42 at-bats through the first few weeks. Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, who played for the Yankees from 2010-13, is hitting just .200, but he has a .375 on-base percentage due to his 14 walks, which rank him second in the NL.
2) Familia Theme: It's been a next man up kind of start for the Mets and with Parnell injured and Mejia suspended, that man has been Jeurys Familia in the ninth inning. Familia leads the entire MLB with eight saves this season and has a 1.86 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 10 appearances.
The Yankees have a shutdown duo of their own for the late innings, including Dellin Betances and offseason import Andrew Miller, neither of which has allowed an earned run. Miller paces the American League with six saves.
1) Yankee History: Since its inception in 1997, the Subway Series has tilted in the Yankees favor more times than not. Excluding the 2000 World Series, the Bronx team has toppled the club from Queens 56-42 overall. These crosstown rivals will meet again in September at Citi Field -- perhaps with playoff implications for both if things break right.
It's an exciting time for New York baseball as the Subway Series comes earlier than usual when the Yankees host the Mets at Yankee Stadium for a three-game set in the Bronx.
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