The New York Mets completed a three-game sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday, winning 9-1 in yet another impressive offensive showing. After starting the season 0-5, New York is now two games above .500 and vying for second in the NL East.

Following an underwhelming off-season in which the team missed out on big names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, the Mets began the 2024 MLB season with five straight losses. Between poor hitting and average pitching, made worse by the absence of injured ace Kodai Senga, it seemed like the team was planning to limp its way to 2025.

In 13 games since, however, New York has gone 10-3, winning four straight series against the Reds, Braves, Royals and Pirates. The team’s offense has picked up considerably and pitchers have held opposing teams to three runs or less in seven games since April 5.

In the Mets’ latest victory over the Pirates, completing the sweep, all of the team’s improvements were on full display. All but one of New York’s batters recorded a hit, and outfielders Starling Marte and Harrison Bader both hit home runs to put Pittsburgh away. Both players were major question marks entering the season, as Marte was coming off a nagging injury last year and Bader was a speculative off-season acquisition.

Meanwhile, the Mets’ pitching staff kept the Pirates in check all day. Starter Luis Severino allowed a single unearned run in six innings of work. Star closer Edwin Diaz was not required, nor were many of New York’s premier relievers, as Jorge Lopez, Jake Diekman and Grant Hartwig shut down the Pirates late to preserve the blowout win.

The Mets are still not a perfect team by any means. They still appear lightweights in a stacked National League in many respects. Star shortstop Francisco Lindor has improved slightly in recent weeks, but he is still hitting just .151 in 85 plate appearances.

However, the Mets have mostly completely rebounded from their early-season slump, proving that they can compete with some of MLB’s best teams. Starting Friday, the Mets will play a series on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which may put the resurgent NL East team to the test.

When the New York Yankees acquired center fielder Harrison Bader from the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Jordan Montgomery at the trade deadline, it came as a surprise to many. Some even saw it as a losing deal for New York after Montgomery finished the regular season strong in St. Louis, but it’s clear after one postseason game that Bader may be the difference maker the Yankees have been looking for.

In Game 1 of New York’s ALDS matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, the team trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the third inning when Bader hit a solo home run off starting pitcher Cal Quantrill to tie it. The Yankees went on to win the game 4-1.

Bader is not traditionally a home run hitter, having hit five in the 2022 regular season and 52 over the course of six years in MLB. Though power hitting is unlikely to be his lasting contribution for the Yankees, who already enjoy plenty from big bats like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Bader could be the sort of player who makes the difference as the postseason wears on.

Should the Yankees defeat the Guardians, which they’re heavily favored to do, a likely matchup with the Houston Astros awaits. As a World Series favorite, Houston enjoys superior pitching and a lineup on par with New York’s. If they upset the Astros, the Yankees would then have to play the winner of the NLCS, likely the Los Angeles Dodgers or Atlanta Braves.

In order to defeat any of these top contenders, the Yankees will have to improve in a number of areas, but a lineup with holes is a surefire way to lose any series. Production from Bader in the nine-hole allows the team to get back to the top of the order, typically spearheaded by Judge and Anthony Rizzo.

What appeared to be a minor roster improvement at the trade deadline could prove to mean much more for the Yankees’ postseason run, as Bader has already demonstrated an ability to perform in big spots. New York plays Cleveland in Game 2 at home Thursday night.

Opening Day of Major League Baseball will be here in the blink of an eye.  Now is a good time to look at each team’s prognosis heading into the 2021 season after the 60-game 2020 abbreviated season.

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Generally speaking, the St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the better franchises in baseball. St. Louis has made a total of 14 trips to the playoffs. The team has also won two World Series since 2000. Overall, the Cardinals have won 12 championships over the franchise’s 139-year history. 2021 should be another promising year for the Cardinals as they will compete to make the postseason for the third year in a row.

Here are the Cardinals’ projected starters.

St. Louis Cardinals Projected Batting Order:

1. 2B Tommy Edman
2. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
3. 3B Nolan Arenado 
4. SS Paul DeJong
5. C Yadier Molina
6. OF Dylan Carlson
7. OF Tyler O’Neil
8. OF Harrison Bader 
9. Pitcher

St. Louis Cardinals Projected Pitching Staff:

• SP1 Jack Flaherty
• SP2 Kwang Hyun Kim
• SP3 Adam Wainwright
• SP4 Miles Mikolas
• SP5 Carlos Martinez
• CL Jordan Hicks

St. Louis Cardinals Team Outlook:

The Cardinals made some changes in the offseason. One of the team’s biggest moves was acquiring superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies. The Cards also traded outfielder Dexter Fowler to the Los Angeles Angels for a minor leaguer. 

While the Cards made additions, they also suffered some losses, including losing second baseman Kolten Wong, third baseman Brad Miller and catcher Matt Wieters to free agency. Two players that were brought back via free agency were catcher Yadier Molina and starter Adam Wainwright. 

Regarding the starting rotation, the team’s ace is Jack Flaherty, and he is followed by three veterans. Starter Kwang Hyun Kim showed the ability to pitch quality innings in 2020, and he is likely to be successful in 2021. The bullpen is in good hands with Jordan Hicks returning from Tommy John surgery, plus Alex Reyes has a strong arm with closing potential. Offensively, the top half of the lineup is strong and powerful, but the bottom half is inconsistent. From the looks of it, the Cardinals have what it takes to be a competitive team in 2021. 

St. Louis Cardinals Schedule:

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