LOS ANGELES — In the early tale of the tape between MLB’s two best-paid* teams (see below for explanation of exactly who’s first and who’s second), the transition-time Mets look shockingly comparable to the overwhelming World Series-favored Dodgers.
The suddenly streaking Mets are maybe even a little better so far.
A rundown of key categories actually gives a slight and surprising edge to the Mets, who arrived here early Thursday morning for a three-game series feeling pretty good about themselves. Here goes.
Record: The Dodgers were 12-9 coming in, the Mets 10-8. It couldn’t be closer considering the Dodgers played three more games. Edge: Even.
Strength of schedule: The Mets have only played teams that are .500 or better — 18 for 18! — while the Dodgers have played only losers save for a three-game series with the Cubs, which they lost. Edge: Mets.
Overall performance: The Mets had a plus-14 run differential, the Dodgers plus-12. Yep, the celebrity-studded Dodgers are playing no better than the team from Queens, who are aiming for 2025 and beyond. Edge: Even.
Recent play: The Mets are shockingly hot. Since starting 0-5, they were 10-3, and they took a four-game winning streak into their series. The Dodgers had lost five of seven, all against teams with losing records. Edge: Mets.
Mood: The Mets are flying high after a happy cross-country trip, confounding all the folks who’d already given up on them (not me). The Dodgers can’t be thrilled considering Las Vegas saw them as a winner of more than 110 games. Edge: Mets.
Payroll*: The Mets technically have the highest payroll for competitive balance purposes at $345M to the Dodgers’ $326M (via Cot’s Baseball Contracts), but discounting all the Mets’ dead money being paid to future Hall of Famers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and non-Hall of Famer James McCann, the Dodgers actually possess the best-paid players. Edge: Even.
Scandal: Here’s one category in which there’s no comparison. I had to check with The Post’s Mike Puma if there were any Mets scandals of note, and the best we could come up with was Francisco Alvarez’s newly hired agent in Bad Bunny’s agency having his certification removed due to claims of luring clients with improper benefits. Bunny’s agency issued a statement that they are built on “integrity” and will fight this while Alvarez declined to comment when approached by a Post reporter about whether he hired the Bunny due to under-the-table payments.
If true, this is obviously wrong, but it’s a story that understandably hasn’t captured much attention, unlike the Dodgers’ scandal. You know, the one that broke exactly on Game 1 of international superstar Shohei Ohtani’s record $700M contract. Federal authorities are saying Ohtani’s longtime interpreter and bestie stole $16M from him to pay off crazy gambling debts (and not even all of them, as the interpreter, Ippei Muzuhara, lost $40M, according to the feds).
The great Ohtani appears to be the victim, but many questions remain, such as how his financial people failed to notice that 16 very large disappeared and how he didn’t see his bestie’s outsized interest in other sporting events. Ohtani issued a statement but, like Alvarez, isn’t otherwise talking. Edge: Dodgers (for sheer interest).
That’s really the singular area where the Dodgers have outdone the Mets (and everyone else, too). While the distraction hasn’t impacted Ohtani’s typically brilliant performance, the scandal has partly obscured the spotlight from one of the greatest rosters of talent ever assembled, including also MLB’s most-coveted free agent pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who started Friday vs. the Mets. (One Dodgers person told me their 103.5 Over/Under was “way low,” in spring, and I nodded.)
While Ohtani and especially the remarkable Mookie Betts are outperforming even their own sky-high expectations, perhaps we shouldn’t be shocked the Dodgers’ pitching staff has been second-division level with a full rotation on the injured list. Hot-shot youngster Bobby Miller recently joined all-time great Clayton Kershaw plus Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan and Tony Gonsolin in sick bay.
The Mets lost ace Kodai Senga but, thanks to prescient pickups, are easily out-pitching the Dodgers. Luis Severino is back in form, and Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser look solid, but their two best pitchers so far are guys who didn’t even make the club out of spring training.
Mets baseball president David Stearns told The Post early in spring he saw this team as “playoff caliber,” and while he didn’t repeat that remark in a phone interview, he also isn’t backing away from it.
“The guys are playing with energy,” Stearns said. “It’s a good group and we’re getting contributions from a wide array of players on our roster.”
Veteran journeyman reliever Reed Garrett and Jose Butto, often viewed as trade bait in past years, are authoring brilliant starts after failing to make the team in spring. Stearns chalked this up to the team’s very solid depth, and that’s fair.
In the competition between baseball’s two best-compensated teams, the underdog 2024 Mets — known for their depth and dead money — are at least so far keeping pace with the made-for-Hollywood Dodgers.
