There's a new show coming to New York this fall. It's not on Broadway, nor at the Madison Square Garden. It isn't even the usual show found this time of year in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium. This show is the New York Mets.

Twenty years since their last World Series win, the Mets hope to bring a championship back to Flushing this fall. During those years, the New York Yankees have defined themselves as New York's team with four World Series Championships and twelve consecutive playoff appearances.

This year, however, the Mets would like to redefine New York baseball, and they stand a good chance at doing so.

The Mets posses the components necessary to win the World Series:

Experienced veterans: Starting pitchers Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez have combined to start 46 postseason games with an aggregate 3.13 ERA.

Young studs: David Wright and Jose Reyes. Wright batted .311 with 26 HRs, 116 RBI, and 20 SBs this season. Reyes hit .300 with 19HRs and stole, an MLB-high, 64 bases.

Playoff performers: Along with Glavine and Hernandez, the Mets have Carlos Beltran. Beltran batted .435 with eight home runs in twelve games during the 2004 postseason.

The heartwarming storyline: During his career, Carlos Delgado has hit 407 home runs and drove in 1287 base runners. However, at the age of 34, he will start in his first career postseason game this week.

Talent-wise, the Mets have it all. They have speed and power; they were top seven in the Major Leagues in runs, home runs, and stolen bases. Their pitchers posted the sixth best ERA and were fourth in strikeouts. Their bullpen, led by journeyman closer Billy Wagner, will keep the Mets in games. From the seventh inning and beyond, the Mets had a Major Leagues' best 3.04 ERA.

The Mets seem ready to wrestle away New York's baseball attention from the Yankees.

The Yankees posses many of the same characteristics of the Mets but to a lesser extent.

The Yankees have experienced pitchers in Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson, but Johnson has been inconsistent and is experiencing back problems.

They have a young stud in Robinson Cano, but he's one of the few players the Yankees didn't sign to big contracts as free agents.

They have playoff performers in Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, but they have players who have notoriously under performed in the playoffs, such as Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada.

Apparently, the Yankees have a heart warming story, too. Rodriguez and his $252 million contract have never won a World Series. Forgive me, but my heart wouldn't be warmed by seeing A-Rod win a World Series.

The managers for the two teams pretty much sum up why the Mets have more spark than the Yankees. Mets manager, Willie Randolph, provides the excitement to motivate his players. While Joe Torre, like the Yankees in general, is very good at his job, he just doesn't have the same spark. He's been there; he's won before; what's there to get excited about?

All subway lines are pointing toward a Subway Series in New York, but there is a possibility that one of the trains could get derailed.

In the American League, the Yankees might disappoint New Yorkers hoping for a Subway Series.

The Yankees offense is the strongest in the American League. It finished second in home runs, average, and stolen bases. However, their pitching has been uncharacteristically poor. The Yankee pitching staff finished the season with a 4.41 ERA, which is the worst of any AL playoff team.

The Yankees will meet the Detroit Tigers first. The Tigers will give them the same kind of problem the Mets could. They have experience in Kenny Rogers, a young stud in Rookie of the Year candidate, Justin Verlander, a playoff performer in Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, and a heart warming story: they lost 119 games just three seasons ago.

If the Yankees manage to make it by the pesky Tigers, they still might have to face a similarly designed Minnesota Twins team. The Twins were the hottest team in the league over the last two months, turning a double-digit game deficit in August into an AL Central championship on the last day of the season. The one American League team the Yankees would likely overmatch would be the Oakland Athletics, who are currently facing the Twins.

Whatever the case, the Yankees appear to have a more difficult route to the Subway Series, and appear less likely to win if they make it there.

There is no reason to expect the Mets to get eliminated in the National League. They had the best record in the National League by nine wins. None of the other NL playoff teams posses the power to out hit the Mets, and their pitching is not likely to slow down the Mets' offense either.

New York might still be the center stage for baseball's fall classic, but there's a different act in town. I'd suggest you check them out. They'll be here all October and they call themselves the New York Mets.

NOTE: This blog was written as an assignment for the Journalism 499: Sports Commentary class at the University of Southern California, taught by Joshua Adande.

Additional links:
2006 MLB Team Stats
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