Phillies-Mets rivalry will come back in a big way in 2021

Expect the Phillies-Mets rivalry to heat up next season.

The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have certainly changed the narrative of their organizations in the past few weeks.

We’ve recently seen the Mets gain life with new ownership — led by sports fanatic and billionaire Steve Cohen — positioning themselves to spend big this offseason. After years of mediocrity the 2015 World Series run, Cohen has injected energy into the Mets, while putting the rest of the National League on high alert. So far, the Mets have put their money where their mouths are, already signing free-agent catcher James McCann to a multi-year deal.

The Phillies, meanwhile, have a window and the current talent to come away with a playoff berth this coming season. Like the Mets, their organization seemingly is reaching for a quick turnaround, hiring two-time World Series champion executive Dave Dombrowski as their first-ever president of baseball operations.

The former Boston Red Sox front office leader has developed a reputation as a competitor and big player in the market, dating back to the days when he led a gutted Detroit Tigers organization back to contention.

So, it is safe to assume that leaves both organizations on a course heading toward the same electric rivalry from the late 2000s — when a young Phillies core and a balanced Mets roster battled for the National League East title year after year. There was true animosity between the teams; it’s going to take more than one or two signings to reignite this rivalry, but already things are moving in the right direction.