Before the subway existed, New York already had a 'Subway' Series

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The term implies a modern transit connection, but the rivalry between New York’s baseball giants predates the city's underground rails. While the 1920s gave the series its name, the fierce competition for local dominance began in the mid-1800s, long before the first train ever pulled into a station.

Matches played between the New York Mets and New York Yankees are now known as the 'Subway Series'. However, the historical scope is much broader, encompassing matchups between the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers or the New York Giants. The inaugural recorded 'World Championship Series' took place in 1889—nine years prior to Brooklyn joining the city via the Greater New York Act of 1898—despite organized all-star contests between these boroughs dating back to the 1850s.

The name itself is a relatively recent linguistic layer. The term "Nickel Series" (referring to the old five-cent fare) appeared in newspapers by 1927, with "Subway Series" following in 1928. Three separate stadiums, including Manhattan's Polo Grounds, Bronx-based Yankee Stadium, and Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, were reachable by subway by the 1920s. This transit accessibility cemented the series as a unified city experience, even though the teams were often geographically separated.

The rivalry has shifted through several eras of ownership and geography. The Giants and Dodgers both departed for California after 1957, leaving the Yankees as the city's sole major league team until the Mets joined in 1962. Since the introduction of interleague play in 1997, the modern Subway Series has seen a shifting format, moving from alternating single-host series to two three-game sets, and eventually to two-game sets in 2013. As of June 2024, the Yankees lead the all-time head-to-head record with 84 wins to the Mets' 65.

The rivalry is punctuated by iconic cultural moments, such as the 2000 World Series where the city decorated the 7 train in Mets colors and the 4 train in Yankees pinstripes. This era also featured high-stakes drama like the Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza feud and historical milestones like Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in a World Series contest between the 'Bronx Bombers' and the 'Dem Bums from Brooklyn'.

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