Money doesn't buy you happiness
Morning Dose: Friday, May 23
☀️ GOOD MORNING:
The Mets and the Dodgers, two organizations that are supposed to ruin baseball with their inflated payrolls. Two ballclubs who spend so much money they should be lapping the field, having materially upset the game’s competitive balance. The Mets and the Dodgers, two teams who have fine records, but look anything but juggernauts as they meet for the first time since the 2024 NLCS.
Money doesn’t buy you happiness. Look, there’s no denying that big-market teams gain a competitive edge with higher payrolls. But it doesn’t mean the path to October is paved with gold. If you’re a Mets fan or a Dodgers fan who has watched either of these teams play over the past month, you know this.
A big series can bring out your best. Carlos Mendoza and Dave Roberts both hope a showdown between these two clubs will bring out their best. The country will be watching, with all three games on national broadcasts — Friday, Apple TV+; Saturday, Fox, Sunday, ESPN. Get your radios ready to sync with the games (remember, Apple TV+ lets you pick the Mets’ announcers).
🐎 DIVISION RACE: Only a Mets fan would roll their eyes at the Phillies inflating their record against the easy-pickings Rockies, only to fully believe that same Rockies team will find a way to play their best baseball when they come to Citi Field next week. It is what it is, but after Philadelphia swept Colorado, they own a full two-game lead in the NL East.
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🌦️ A CLOUDY START
The Dodgers arrive to Citi Field with one of the best records in baseball, but are playing more like a wounded duck than a cruising speed boat. Similar to the Mets, their impressive record is buoyed by two long winning streaks. They are a mediocre 8–9 since winning seven in a row at the end of April. They recently had their first four-game losing streak at home since 2018. And they are only 12–11 on the road.
🩼 ALL-INJURED TEAM: You could literally create the best pitching staff in baseball from the Dodgers’ collection of ailing arms. Below, I was able to create a full starting rotation and five-man bullpen while still leaving several of their injured players off the list.
Injured Starters:
Tyler Glasnow
Blake Snell
Shohei Ohtani (getting close)
Roki Sasaki
Gavin Stone
Injured Relievers:
Evan Phillips
Blake Treinen
Michael Kopech
Kirby Yates
Brusdar Graterol
Picking up the pieces: This has left manager Dave Roberts in a tough spot, trying to coax the few remaining starters he has into pitching deeper in games, calling on no-names to get key outs late in games and hoping his offense can overcome deficits.
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