Daily Report – 5/15/26
Yankees
The first leg of the 2026 Subway Series begins tonight as the Yankees visit the Mets at Citi Field.
Last season, the Yankees and Mets split the Subway Series 3-3. Tonight, the Mets are coming off a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers, while the Yankees are 1-5 to start their nine-game road trip. Injuries have victimized both teams, with the Mets having to replace some of their outfield and the Yankees holding their breath about their ace.
Max Fried injured the posterior of his throwing elbow on Wednesday, but the Yankees have not provided any further updates. With a 27-17 record, the Yankees rank second in the American League East, while the 18-25 Mets sit at the bottom of the National League East.
Each team’s rising stars will narrate this rendition of the Subway Series. For the Yankees, Cam Schlittler, who is scheduled to start tonight despite taking a hard comebacker to his calf on Saturday, has been electric in his first full Big League season. His 1.35 ERA leads AL starting pitchers.
The Yankees also have their eyes on Spencer Jones, who is 1-for-15 to start his big league career and hopes for a bounce-back weekend in Queens.
For the Mets, Carson Benge and AJ Ewing have given their team momentum entering this Subway Series. Nolan McLean, the Mets’ Schlittler, will not pitch this weekend, but he is another critical piece of the Mets’ future who has been excellent in his first full season.
Payrolls are also a big storyline between these two clubs. The Mets, with baseball’s highest payroll, pronged Juan Soto from the Yankees, with the third-highest payroll, two offseasons ago. The Yankees have moved on from Soto, 5-for-27 in his last seven games, and still have one of the league’s best lineups, but they have yet to return to the World Series without him.
Next, the Yankees are running back last year’s team, except for Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, who now pitch for the Mets. On the other hand, the Mets have made significant roster changes, including parting ways with Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil.
The Mets will also be without Francisco Lindor this weekend as this new squad, which includes infielder Bo Bichette and starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, continues to find its groove. The Yankees need to revamp their bats and get more consistency from their bullpen, especially Camilo Doval and Brent Headrick.
Despite his impressive stuff, Doval has been struggling all season, while Headrick, the Yankees’ best firefighter, has allowed home runs in consecutive appearances. Nevertheless, the Yankees’ 3.34 bullpen ERA is the fifth-best in baseball, while the Mets’ bullpen holds a 3.54 ERA.
The Mets’ starting pitching is also on a hot streak, and former Yankees closer Clay Holmes, who will start tonight, has formed an excellent one-two punch with McLean at the top of the Mets’ rotation. Each of the Yankees’ last three closers – Holmes, Weaver, and Williams – now pitches for the Mets.
Overall, the Yankees’ lineup, which ranks among baseball’s best and leads the league in home runs, is significantly better than the Mets’, which has scored the second fewest runs in the league this season. However, the MLB season is filled with humps and valleys.
The Yankees are in the middle of one of those valleys, while the Mets could climb to the peak of their hump with a Subway Series win.
Tonight, on Friday Night Baseball at 7:15 PM, the Yankees will send RHP Cam Schlittler (5-1, 1.35 ERA) to the mound against the righty Clay Holmes (4-3, 1.86 ERA) (AppleTV+).
Tomorrow, on Baseball Night in America at 7:15 PM, LHP Carlos Rodón (0-0, 6.23 ERA) will start for the Yankees (FOX, FOX ONE). The Mets have yet to announce tomorrow’s starter.
Then, on Sunday at 1:40 PM, LHP Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.00 ERA) will toe the Yankees’ slab against the right-handed Freddy Peralta (3-3, 3.10 ERA) (YES, SNY, Gotham Sports, MLBTV).
Schedule
Tonight 5/15:
7:15 PM: Friday Night Baseball – 2026 Subway Series, Game 1: NYY at NYM; AppleTV+; SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (5-1, 1.35 ERA) vs. RHP Clay Holmes (4-3, 1.86 ERA)
Saturday 5/16:
7:15 PM: Baseball Night in America – 2026 Subway Series, Game 2: NYY at NYM; FOX, FOXONE; SP: LHP Carlos Rodón (0-0, 6.23 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday 5/17:
1:00 PM: 2026 PGA Championship, Final Round; CBS, Paramount+
1:40 PM: 2026 Subway Series, Game 3 – NYY at NYM; YES, SNY, Gotham Sports, MLBTV; SP: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.00 ERA) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (3-3, 3.10 ERA)
