According to Statista, the New York Yankees almost doubled up on the New York Mets on the one scoreboard mattering the most last season — total revenue.
In recent history however, there have been many similarities between the teams.
Both New York baseball franchises have newer stadiums opening in the last 10 years.
Both teams have appeared in the World Series in the past three years.
Additionally, both teams play in a highly populated American city populated city, and they have the luxury of dedicated cable television networks providing hours worth of programming related to the teams — daily.
This also includes the offseason.
Both teams also sport payrolls worth over $150 million.
Yet,the Yankees produced a staggering $619 million in revenue, which was $283 million more in 2017, than their crosstown rivals.
There are only a handful of teams, including the Yankees and Mets, that can truly call themselves "big market" franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB).
These teams help subsidize smaller market teams that produce much less in profits via revenue sharing. In some instances, the least profitable of these "small market" teams would be in constant jeopardy of potentially operating ion the red if it were not for MLB’s version of wealth redistribution. This business model is dependent on the success of teams like the Mets and their ability to maximize their revenue on a yearly basis.
After two consecutive playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016, the Mets staggered to the finish line with a record of 70-92 in 2017, and they are projected to post their secopnd consecutive losing season in 2018.
The Mets 2015 World Series run was estimated to have earned the team at least an additional $45 million in revenue. The quick takeaway from this is that more winsequalsmore money — not just for the Mets, but for MLB’s revenue sharing system.
So How Does Major League Baseball Help the Struggling New York Mets Help the League?
The one obvious answer is to have the National League finally adopt the Designated Hitter (DH). The DH was put into place at the start of the 1973 season in the American League. It was instrumental in helping teams keep both older and defensively challenged players in the everyday lineup.
On paper, the Mets look like the MLB team that would benefit most from the National League’s potential adoption of the DH for 2019. Their star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who will be earning in excess of $27 million next season, will be returning midseason from bone-spur surgery on both heels.
There has been talk regarding Cespedes playing some games at first base next season but their first baseman of the future, Peter Alonso, is coming off a season where he hit over 35 home runs. Alonso achieved this in the Mets minor league system and has earned a roster spot on the major league club.
The DH option would be a great one for a player like Cespedes who will have missed more than a calendar year by the time he returns to the active roster.
Jay Bruce, who the Mets owe 28 million dollars to in 2019 and 2020, spent a significant time on the disabled list this year with plantar fasciitis — among other ailments.
Bruce is currently playing both first base and right field but is over 30 years old and would be kept fresher over the course of a 162-game season if allowed to periodically DH as well.
It would be a sad day for purists who prefer that pitchers be held accountable by standing in the batter’s box should the DH come to the NL. With that said, baseball is a business and most business decisions come down to finances. This Mets fan is certainly hoping that the MLB Competition Committee hits a home run this offseason.
Julio Rivera is a small business consultant, political activist, writer and Editorial Director for Reactionary Times. He has been a regular contributor to Newsmax TV and columnist for Newsmax.com since 2016. His writing, which is concentrated on politics, cybersecurity and sports, has also been published by websites including The Hill, The Washington Times, LifeZette, The Washington Examiner, American Thinker, The Toronto Sun and PJ Media and many others. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
Originally posted on Newsmax as: Why NY Mets, National League Need to Adopt a Designated Hitter | Newsmax.com
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