Mets postseason run could actually threaten Yankees with Juan Soto's free agency

The performances of both New York teams in the postseason this year couldn't feel more divergent. The Mets battled until the bitter end to secure a playoff spot, and then took down a division winner in the Milwaukee Brewers with one of the most epic comebacks you'll ever see.

The Yankees? They played about .500 ball from June - September, ended up winning the division because the Orioles were far worse, and dispelled none of the October concerns fans have been talking about for the past five years. And that was with the offseason addition of Juan Soto. The star slugger changed a lot, but he hasn't changed the few key issues plaguing this organization.

Their Game 1 performance against the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS was fueled by unlikely heroes, and ended up being more of a result of the Yankees getting lucky than anything else. Their Game 2 snoozer in which they lost 4-2 and didn't put up a fight was more of the same. Game 3? Giancarlo Stanton showed up, and the rest of the offense slept. It's all predictable, but sometimes it narrowly works.

That's not to say the Royals aren't a good team. They are. But they are far inferior to the Yankees from a talent perspective. They just play better baseball when it comes to defense and fundamentals. The Yankees are undisciplined and lack fire. You can't be devoid of discipline and energy in the postseason. But the Yankees are, every year.

So, for the first time since the nonsensical chatter of "Juan Soto to the Mets" started to pop up the moment he was traded to the Yankees, we can finally admit it's reached a level of legitimacy, with the slugger approaching free agency whenever New York's playoff run ends.

The Mets just defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS and will be one of the two teams remaining in the NL battling it out for a spot in the World Series. It remains to be seen what the Yankees do with Game 4 of the ALDS on deck Thursday night, but there's been a distinct difference with how these teams have handled business.

The Mets, for as inept they've historically been as a franchise, are electric at this very moment. And they have proven to be able to ride momentum, something the Yankees haven't done since (probably) 2017. If the Yankees don't make to to the ALCS this year, then they will have only one more championship series appearance than the Mets from 2018-2024. Think about that.

It goes without saying that 99% of sports teams are perennial disappointments. It's just the way it is. But the Yankees have been a special kind of letdown in recent years. And their window is closing, especially if they don't make a move this year. Soto is the key to that window remaining open and prosperous.

But does he want that pressure? Does he also want that pressure while playing second fiddle to Aaron Judge? Will he absolutely love his experience in the Bronx enough to potentially forgo more money from the Mets, who might not be too far off from building a competitive roster for years to come? Does he prefer the Yankees' cold, corporate buttoned-up vibe, or would he have more fun with Grimace, the Hawk Tuah girl, and Jose Iglesias' bangers?

Had the Mets missed the playoffs or even got bounced in the Wild Card round handily by the Milwaukee Brewers, this would hardly be a conversation. But with the Mets advancing further than the Yankees as of Wednesday, and embodying a preferred brand of winning at the moment, we're now worried about the "spit on that thang" memes if this goes off the rails in the offseason.