The Yankees and Mets continue the Subway Series this afternoon with Clarke Schmidt facing Griffin Canning, but what if these two teams formed to make a super lineup? With both teams sitting in first place in their respective divisions, there are tons of talented players to select from, but before we get into the fun, we have to set rules for who is eligible and how positions will be determined.
Outfielders can be positioned in any spot where they have a decent amount of experience, and the same rings true for infielders. 2025 performance matters a lot, but for tiebreakers or close calls, a player’s track record will come into play because we have over 70% of the season remaining. Players currently on the IL can be eligible for this list if they’ve played a game in 2025 and project to return at some point during the 2025 season.
Catcher: Austin Wells
Austin Wells is the best defensive catcher in New York City by a comfortable margin while having the offensive abilities to either go toe-to-toe with Luis Torrens and Francisco Alvarez or even surpass them. Dating back to his first full season in 2024, Wells has the fourth-highest fWAR in baseball (4.7) among catchers and has developed more and more offensively as he’s gotten more playing time. This was a fairly easy choice once you realize that the Mets’ combined catching fWAR (1.1) trails Austin Wells’ fWAR on the season (1.2).
First Base: Pete Alonso
Arguably the NL MVP frontrunner, Pete Alonso is one of the best players in the league this season and was a no-brainer for the first base position. Among first basemen, he has the highest fWAR (2.2), the second-highest wRC+ (180), and the most Runs Batted In (36), as he has popped in both traditional and more modern metrics. This is a big season for Alonso, who is doing a much better job of making contact and doing damage on contact than he has in the past two seasons, and he comfortably holds the title once again of being the best first baseman in New York City.
Second Base: Jazz Chisholm
Jazz Chisholm is an extremely well-rounded player who brings good defense, excellent baserunning abilities, and a strong bat to the middle infield. The lack of better options on the Mets and Yankees made this an easy decision, as while I believe in Jeff McNeil’s bat to be above-average, I don’t think his defensive abilities are as sharp as Chisholm’s, and he’s a clear step back in the baserunning department. Despite being on the IL since April, Jazz Chisholm is sixth among all second basemen in WAR (0.8), and when he returns to the Yankees, he’ll provide a nice spark to their offense.
Third Base: Mark Vientos
Mark Vientos has gotten off to a cold start this season, and his glove at third base has been utterly atrocious, but the lack of a real competitor on the Yankees’ roster made this a layup. Brett Baty and Jeff McNeil presented interesting alternatives, but I trust that Vientos’ bat will get it going, and I would like to see more from the other two before I consider them better third basemen. Since 2024, Mark Vientos has hit 32 home runs in 151 games with a 3.1 fWAR, and if that’s the player he ends up being, that’s a strong middle-of-the-lineup bat.
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor
Do I even need to write a blurb for this one? A first-ballot Hall of Famer in the making, Francisco Lindor is a historically dominant player at the position who is on pace to become one of the greatest shortstops of all time. The New York Mets brought him in as Steve Cohen’s first big splash, and it is an addition that has changed the outlook of their franchise forever. He’s become the face and unofficial captain of a team that went to the NLCS and is currently in first place in the NL East, and right now he is tied for the league lead in HRs (9) and is top three in fWAR (2.0) among shortstops.
Left Field: Juan Soto
Juan Soto’s experience in left field comes in handy here, as I can slide the right fielder to the other side of the outfield where he can be the dominant left-handed bat in this lineup. Soto is one of the best players on the planet and will define the next 15 years of Mets’ baseball as a result of his unique and irreplaceable combination of plate discipline, contact, and power. No hitter since 2020 has a higher OBP than Juan Soto (.425), and while some will criticize his “slow start” with the Mets, I have to remind people that he currently has a 139 wRC+ and a .439 xwOBA.
Center Field: Trent Grisham
While Trent Grisham is having a career-worst season on the defensive side of the ball, he is having the best offensive season of his career by a country mile. With 12 home runs and a 179 wRC+, Grisham was a lock for this list, providing both patience and power to the lineup from the left-handed side. He has the third-highest wRC+ on the season among players included in the Yankees-Mets merger roster, and his 12 home runs trail only Aaron Judge. What he has done this season is more than unbelievable, and he’s making himself a lot of money as he approaches free agency this winter.
Right Field: Aaron Judge
The best player in baseball, Aaron Judge, leads baseball in every statistical category imaginable, and there’s no reason to even try justifying this one. He’s simply too good to have to explain his greatness. If this team were to just select one player to represent it, Judge would be the obvious choice without any opposition. We may never see a player as good again, as he just wrapped up the best season ever for a right-handed hitter and is following it up with an even better one in all categories.
Designated Hitter: Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Goldschmidt just squeaks ahead of Ben Rice to be the DH for this New York superteam, a position he is eligible for since he’s played two games at DH this year. You could just have him hit against left-handed pitching and Ben Rice against right-handed pitching, but either choice is more than valid. I picked the player with the highest wRC+ on the day of releasing the article, and with a 156 vs a 154, the decision was not easy at all. You’re getting a professional at-bat with power, and if you want to move him to first and Pete Alonso to DH, you could get an even better defensive alignment.
Who Is On This Yankees-Mets Superteam’s Bench?
Ben Rice: The Yankees-Mets superteam can throw him in the lineup against right-handed pitching or have him play first base, as he’s become a great hitter for the Bronx Bombers. A versatile defender with the ability to play first base and catch, he brings some power and can be on the field if this team desperately needed to throw him out there.
Francisco Alvarez: Every team needs a backup catcher, and that’s the role that Francisco Alvarez will play for this club, serving as the perfect fit with Austin Wells. Both are strong framers, but Alvarez is a right-handed hitter who could come in if the Yankees-Mets faced a left-handed pitcher who would have an advantage over Wells. A player who has become somewhat underappreciated, the Mets have a steady starter behind the plate who would be the best backup in the sport.
Anthony Volpe: A skilled defensive infielder who has mashed left-handed pitching, Anthony Volpe’s infield defense and speed are perfect for coming off the bench in a variety of roles. Need a pinch-runner? Need a late-game defensive substitution at third base? Need to pinch-hit for Jazz Chisholm with a great lefty on the mound? Anthony Volpe can do all of that, and it’s another case of having the luxury of putting a quality starter in a bench role.
Cody Bellinger: This was a tough call since Brandon Nimmo is, in my opinion, the better player, but the last two seasons have displayed not much of a difference in offensive production, while Cody Bellinger has been the better defender. I think if we were speaking strictly in a starting role, I would take the upside that Nimmo’s bat possesses, but I need my fourth outfielder to handle all three outfield spots well, and it also helps that he can play first base.