Nearly two months into the 2022 MLB season, both New York baseball teams are thriving. The New York Yankees (32-13) and New York Mets (29-17) have the biggest division leads entering Memorial Day Weekend.

The Yankees are atop the overall 2022 MLB standings with the best record in baseball. In the middle of a pivotal four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays (26-18), the Yankees have a chance to extend their 5.5-game lead in the AL East. In the NL East, the Mets’ 7.5-game edge over the Atlanta Braves (21-24) represents the largest gap between any first- and second-place teams.

In their first meeting with the Rays this season, the Yankees won 7-2 Thursday night in Tampa Bay. Winning two of the next three games would give the Yankees a comfortable 6.5-game lead over the reigning AL East champions.

The Toronto Blue Jays (24-20) are off to a somewhat disappointing start, trailing the Yankees by 7.5 games. Toronto entered Opening Day as the favorite to win the American League pennant.

The Boston Red Sox (21-23) have rebounded from a poor start, winning 10 of their last 13 games. Boston is still 10.5 games out of first place because of the Yankees’ 115-win projected pace.

The Yankees are second in the AL in both ERA and runs scored. Aaron Judge’s 17 home runs are five more than any other player in MLB. Nestor Cortes has emerged as an early Cy Young candidate with a 1.70 ERA.

The upcoming schedule could threaten the Yankees’ AL East lead. After four games in Tampa Bay, the Yankees will play a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels (27-19). Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu and Aroldis Chapman are just a few of the Yankees who have suffered recent injuries.

Injuries to the Mets’ top starting pitchers have yet to lessen their lead in the NL East. Even as Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tylor Megill are out of the rotation, the Mets appear to be a sure-fire playoff team. Neither the defending World Series champs nor the Philadelphia Phillies (21-24) have been able to put together a significant stretch of good baseball.

The Mets’ pitching staff has come back to earth with a 4.90 ERA in the last 15 days. The lineup has kept the team afloat during that stretch with a .774 OPS, good for sixth in the majors. Jeff McNeil leads the team with a .321 average, while Pete Alonso has 11 home runs and 44 RBI. Francisco Lindor has 15 RBI in his last 13 games.

The Mets can expand their division lead in their weekend series against the Phillies. The Mets are 4-2 against Philadelphia this season.

The Mets just went 3-3 on a quick West Coast road trip.

Yankees Giancarlo Stanton Aaron Judge
Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees reacts with Aaron Judge #99 after hitting a two run home run during the eighth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on September 26, 2021 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
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