How much Judge plays in those 3 games before Friday, and how the Yankees' pitching staff holds up behind him, will shape what this matchup actually looks like by first pitch. The Mets, meanwhile, still have to get through Miami twice before they see the Bronx.
New York's American League club isn't just playing out the string, either. The Yankees sit behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and are holding a wild card spot, which puts real weight on every game left on the schedule, Rockies included. A home series loss to a sub-.500 division rival would sting more than usual with the Rays looking over their shoulder.
The Mets don't have a playoff case to make anymore at 66-78, but they haven't been playing like a team mailing it in. They took 2 of 3 from the Giants and have won 4 of their last 5, with McLean anchoring a rotation that's held up better than the record around it. The bullpen is a different story.
Devin Williams, Cionel Perez and Reed Garrett are all out for New York's pen, and Jorge Polanco is done for the year after an ankle injury landed him on the 60-day IL. That's a lot of innings to replace for a team with nothing left to play for but pride and a chance to needle a division-race opponent in their own park.