Mets and Yankees With Lots of Questions For the 2nd Half

The Mets and Yankees open the second half of their respective seasons tonight with a lot of questions that need answers shortly.

As in 11 short days.

That's how many days remain between now and the Major League Trade Deadline, the last day that teams can make trades involving players on their 40-man rosters.

Thanks to an incredible April, May, and first half of June, the Yankees were the first team to hit 50 wins, which they reached after an 8-1 win over the Red Sox in Fenway Park on June 14. At 50-22, they were winning games nearly 70% of the time.

Since that game, they've won just 8 of 18 games and only one of their last 8 series. Sure, they're still very likely to make the playoffs, but it's more than likely going to be as a wild-card team.

The holes are obvious. As we told you a few weeks ago, there are problems in the infield, and now you can add starting pitching, and maybe even the catcher's position as well.

On the bright side, for all their issues over the past month, the Yankees still have the most wins in the American League (tied with the Orioles and Guardians), and only the Phillies have more wins in all of baseball.

As recently as June 2nd, at 24-35, the Mets were 11 games under the .500 mark and 16.5 games out of first place in the National League East.

Mets fans were practically apoplectic on social media, looking for someone - anyone - to blame for what was happening.

Since then, the Mets have gone 25-11, a .694 winning percentage.

They won't win the division (the Phillies are running away with it) but they are VERY much in the Wild Card race.

Their biggest need is in the bullpen. They simply CANNOT bring Adam Ottavino and Jake Diekman on in relief and hope for the best. Hope is not a strategy.

But again, as we told you a few weeks ago, the Mets are in a very Met situation. They can most certainly be buyers between now and July 30, but there will be a lot of other teams looking for bullpen help.

And if they're sellers (and yes, we think fan favorite Pete Alonso is a logical trade candidate), they have to get the right pieces back in return.

And perhaps to make things even more interesting, the Mets and Yankees face each other in the Bronx next Tuesday and Wednesday.

As the weekend approaches and you want to make your plans for what’s going on, let’s take a look at 5 unique Things to do in Jersey this weekend.

Our state has much to offer.  There’s the beaches, the countryside, the forests, parks, and more!  It is an awesome place to live.  This weekend we’re expecting some nice weather.  Not too hot and no great rain!  I thought I could give you some ideas on what to do to enjoy your time, hopefully off from work!

Back in the day, road trips were a lot of fun when you were younger.  And I feel like they’ve “made a comeback” if you will.  It’s always cool and a nice Summer day to just hop in the car and head somewhere fun….or really make it an adventure and just head out with no specific destination in mind!  You can always figure out some tasty places to bring some friends and family and grab a good bite to eat for lunch or dinner.

There are Summer blockbusters out.  You can go see a flick and just kick back with a bucket of popcorn and box of milk duds and of course a soda!  Or stay home and stream something.  Man, are there so many options to watch things through your cable provider or streaming services?

But again, sometimes you want to spice things up and not just go to the beach or hang by your pool.  Sometimes you’re in the mood to do something a little different.  And trust me – here in Jersey, there are always a lot of various events taking place that you can enjoy!  Some are free and some cost money, but either way there is fun to be had out there in the Garden State.

The Arena Bowl is the North American Championship event of the Arena Football League, featuring the league's top teams battling for glory and halftime entertainment. The action comes to the East Rutherford mall.  Maybe before or after you can do some shopping! https://www.americandream.com/arena-bowl-championship/tickets  

Marc Rogoff portrays Joseph Leidy, known as “The Last Man Who Knew Everything," Leidy was a surgeon, paleontologist, parasitologist, geologist and forensic scientist. He named and described the first nearly complete dinosaur ever uncovered, the Hadrosaurus, which is the official state dinosaur of New Jersey. This event is free with day pass admission. https://jerseydinos.com/events/  

The Washington Township Public Affairs & Recreation Department present the B Street Band - A Tribute to the Boss.  This is a free concert at Memorial Field at Pascack Road. The 've been playing Bruce favorites since the 80's and sound amazing!  Conrad's Ice Cream and Bob O's Cheesesteak truck will sell food , so you can grab dinner too!

https://www.bstreetband.com/

This band does a great job of mixing it up.  They play hits from classic rock, to the  '80s, and '90s eras.  They even try and take requests.  Great Notch Inn is an awesome spot and there's free admission.  Could be fun!!

Wanna laugh?  Have some drinks and a good time?  You're in luck with funny sets provided by Mark Riccadonna, Christy Miller, Erik Marino, and Mike Bocchetti, along with Jason Pollack.  A night of laughs is never bad!

https://debonairmusichall.com/