The Subway Series rivalry has created many memorable, dramatic moments for nearly 30 years.
MLB Rivalry Weekend presented by Booking.com debuted just last year, but it is the perfect time for another edition of New York vs. New York. That’s exactly what we’ll get this weekend at Citi Field.
A three-game series between the Yankees and Mets begins Friday with a mound matchup that makes you think the first team to score just three runs might be the victor.
Breakout star Cam Schlittler will be on the rubber for the Yanks and opposed by former Yankee Clay Holmes. Both starters have been outstanding this season, with each carrying sub-2.00 ERAs into this showdown.
Schlittler’s 1.35 ERA is the best among qualified pitchers in the American League, as is his 0.81 WHIP and .177 opponents’ batting average. The No. 2 starting pitcher in our most recent Power Rankings, the fireballing righty has allowed just two earned runs over his past 34 2/3 innings. If he keeps this up, he’ll be right in the thick of AL Cy Young contention.
This will be Schlittler’s 24th MLB start and his first against the Mets. Likewise, Holmes has never faced the Yankees, but he’s plenty familiar with the pinstripes; he served as their closer for most of his stint in the Bronx from 2021-24. He signed as a free agent with the Mets before last season and immediately transitioned into a starting role. The nine-season vet had a good first year in Queens (3.53 ERA over 165 2/3 innings), but he’s taken his game to another level in 2026.
Holmes’ 1.86 ERA ranks third in the NL, trailing only the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (0.82) and the Braves’ Bryce Elder (1.81). The 33-year-old’s sinker continues to be his bread-and-butter pitch, contributing to his stellar 56.5% ground-ball rate. That’s helped Holmes suppress opposing offenses, which haven’t scored more than two earned runs against him in any of his eight starts this year. That streak has put Holmes in the Mets’ history books.
Which ace will come out on top in the Subway Series opener? Find out when the Yankees and Mets square off at 7:15 p.m. ET on Apple TV's "Friday Night Baseball."