Marc Malusis distinguished between the playoff "fear factor" of the Mets and Yankees. He argued that while the Mets, despite their inconsistencies, have shown a "penchant for the big moment" and have a young, exciting pitching staff that can be a wildcard in the postseason, the Yankees are a one-dimensional "bully team" that only thrives against bad opponents. According to Malusis, the Yankees' reliance on home runs and lack of "clean, crisp" baseball against good teams proves they're not a championship-caliber contender. The Mets, on the other hand, have the potential to get hot and surprise people in the playoffs.