Brewers' fingerprints all over Mets' potential Subway Series jumpstart vs. Yankees

Despite boasting a payroll well above $300 million, the New York Mets currently find themselves in last place in the National League East as play begins on May 18. A 12-game losing streak back in April dug a hole so deep that most Mets fans are already losing hope of their team rebounding in 2026. Rumors of the Mets already shopping their soon-to-be-departing free agents have sprung up, with varying levels of validity, and calls for manager Carlos Mendoza to be replaced have grown louder. All in all, it's been a nightmare start to the season for the Mets.

However, over the weekend, the Mets produced a rare bright spot in what has otherwise been a rough two months. Facing their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, who have had an opposite start to the season, the Mets shockingly won the "Subway Series" thanks to some late-game heroics on Sunday afternoon.

The Mets and Yankees split the first two games of the much-anticipated Subway Series, which took on a different tone after the former's lackluster start to the 2026 campaign. What was expected to be an interleague showdown of two powerhouses became a series that the Yankees would be rather disappointed to lose. However, on Sunday afternoon, they faced that reality, and it was all thanks to a big fly from a former Milwaukee Brewer, who became the Mets' unlikely Subway Series hero.

Former Brewer Tyrone Taylor plays hero in Mets' unlikely Subway Series win over Yankees

Given the fact that former Brewers' President of Baseball Operations David Stearns currently heads the Mets' front office, it's perhaps unsurprising that several players who he was responsible for bringing into the Brewers' organization now reside on New York's roster. That list includes names like Tyrone Taylor, Devin Williams, and Freddy Peralta. In Sunday's matinee, all three played important roles in the Mets' unlikely victory over the Bronx Bombers.

Peralta started the game and produced a very typical "Freddy Peralta start." He covered five innings on 96 pitches, worked deep counts to many of the batters he faced, but escaped with three earned runs in an outing that could have been much worse. However, a poor performance from the Mets' bullpen left the Yankees with a three-run lead as the game entered the bottom of the ninth inning.

With two outs, and runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth, Taylor, who had been slashing just .182/.203/.286 on the season entering the game, turned on a David Bednar curveball and curled it around the left field foul pole, tying the game at 6-6.

Then, in the top of the 10th inning, the Mets turned to former Brewers' closer Devin Williams, who struck out the first batter he faced, walked the second, and got the third to bounce into an inning-ending double-play. The Mets plated the automatic runner in the bottom of the 10th and went home with an unlikely series win.

However, Peralta, Taylor, and Williams' roles in the Mets' come-from-behind victory yesterday weren't the only Brewers connections. New York entered with 96 consecutive losses when trailing after eight innings. Their last victory in such a situation? Game 3 of the 2024 NL Wild Card Series.

Taylor's home run was undoubtedly a huge boost for the Mets yesterday, but the shocked nature of the fanbase should remind Brewers' fans that their front office excels at moving on from players at the right time. Since joining the Mets, Taylor has produced an OPS+ of 80, meaning he's been 20% worse than the league average over the last two and a half years. That number was 102 during his tenure in Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, the Brewers are currently reaping the benefits of the trade that sent Taylor to New York. Coleman Crow, who Milwaukee received in exchange for Taylor and Adrian Houser back in December of 2023, has since made his MLB debut and more than impressed in his first two major league starts.

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