For fans of the New York Yankees and/or the New York Mets, this Major League Baseball season has been miserable.

Both the Mets and Yankees were pre-season selections to make the playoffs.

Both New York baseball teams will be on the outside looking in during the postseason.

As of this writing, the Mets have a record of 59-69. The Yankees are 61-66.

Under the ownership of hedge fund mogul Steve Cohen, the Mets spent lavishly during this past offseason.

According to Fangraphs, the Mets estimated payroll is $346 million.

In addition to a losing season, the Mets will be paying a significant penalty to MLB for exceeding the highest of four MLB Luxury Tax thresholds. The highest is $293 million.

The Mets are still paying on the contracts of traded pitchers Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer.

Verlander will be partially paid by Mr. Cohen through the 2025 season.

Mets attendance this season is 1,953,065, which places them 10th in baseball.

What went wrong for a team that was built with two former Cy Young Award starting pitchers in Verlander and Scherzer?

Even with them, the team wasn’t very competitive in the National League East.

Why not trade Scherzer and Verlander, save money, and get young players in return?

That’s what the Mets eventually did.

As a team, the Mets have a 4.50 ERA, which places them 20th among MLB teams. Opponents are hitting .251 against Mets pitching, which is above league average.

Offensively, the Mets have a team batting average of .238, which is below the league average of .249.

Led by Pete Alonso, the Mets have hit 165 home runs, which places them in the top 10 in MLB.

However, the team is in the lower half of baseball in runs scored, with 565.

The Mets have been playing from behind far too often.

In June, All Star slugger Pete Alonso suffered a bone bruise in his wrist after being hit by a pitch. He didn’t play for 10 days. His is the loudest bat on the club. Any missed time creates a huge void in the Mets lineup.

Overall, the team has been very mediocre, at best.

While many clubs have been promoting young prospect players, the Mets field a rather aging offense. They have few young players in their lineup capable of igniting the team.

In a game that is celebrating younger players, half the Mets offensive roster exceeds 30-years-old.

Their starting rotation includes aging veterans as well.

While Scherzer and Verlander were superb veteran starters, Kodai Senga (30) Carlos Carrasco (36) David Peterson (28) Tylor Megill (28) and Jose Quintana (34) comprise an aging, declining rotation.

Five of the eight relievers exceed the age of 30.

The Mets simply have to have an injection of youth in their future.

The Yankees have a payroll of $274 million. That places them $1 million above the third MLB Luxury Tax threshold.

The Yankees have drawn 2,820,168 customers to Yankee Stadium. That is second only to the Dodgers in MLB.

The Yankees have long-term contract commitments to Aaron Judge (through 2031) Gerrit Cole (through 2028) and Carlos Rodon (through 2028.) Cole can opt out of his contract after 2024.

One has to wonder if those three contracts had an impact on general manger Brian Cashman’s approach at the trade deadline? Is he able to add payroll, threatening the next level of the Luxury Tax?

The Yankees need look no further than their .230 team batting average to uncover one of their greatest issues. They aren’t hitting. Only the Oakland A’s have a worse team batting average.

The Yankees are in the middle of the pack regarding their team pitching. They have a collective team ERA of 4.07, and a 1.25 WHIP, which is more credible.

The opposition is hitting only .233 against Yankees pitching, which is tied with the Brewers as the best in baseball.

The great success of Gerrit Cole helps the overall pitching statistics.

Aaron Judge hit 62 homers last year. This year, he has hit 28, with a bit more than a month remaining in the season.

After missing considerable time with a torn toe ligament, Judge has played in only 73 games. His absence was devastating.

Judge’s slugging teammate, Giancarlo Stanton, has played only 77 games, as he missed time with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

Catcher Jose Trevino (wrist surgery) first baseman Anthony Rizzo (concussion symptoms) Josh Donaldson (strained calf) and Billy McKinney (back spasms) are all disabled at this time.

Scoring runs has been a challenge. The Yankees have scored 538 runs which puts them tied for 23rd in the game.

Due to injuries, Rodon didn’t join the rotation until July 7. He was greatly missed.

Lefty starter Nestor Cortes (strained rotator cuff) and starting righty Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) are lost to the rotation due to injuries.

Both New York MLB teams have some serious roster reshaping to accomplish in the offseason.

It is likely both teams will have to bolster their offense and their pitching.

It is not unreasonable to think Steve Cohen and the Mets will spend again.

It is more unreasonable to think Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner will engage in a spending spree to upgrade and update his team’s roster. While he has to improve his roster, he may be very restrained in spending.

What about the futures of front office personnel like Mets general manager Billy Eppler and manager Buck Showalter? Are they safe? One might expect so.

How about Yankees general manger Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone? This writer sees some possible storm clouds on the horizon for Mr. Boone.

This season has been lost for both the Mets and Yankees. The biggest losers? The team’s fans.

Truthfully, there is no guarantee next year will bring joy and happiness to the two New York MLB teams.