Bet you didn’t think this Subway Series would be reduced to bragging rights

Back in February or March, you might have had this week circled on your calendar. You might have bought tickets or made a mental note to plan your vacation around this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, because hey — how often do we get a Subway Series that might be a preview of the World Series?

Last season had that kind of potential before the Yankees and Mets fell apart in the back end of the season, but this time around was supposed to be different. Both teams had added pitching, and the Mets had a record payroll. If anything, the power balance looked to have shifted toward Queens.

If the coming two-game set at Yankee Stadium was to be viewed through the prism of the trade deadline, that’s because both teams would be a few days away from adding pieces to potential championship rosters.

Instead, well, this series still might be the biggest thing going locally, because we love our baseball and Yankees-Mets will always have some cachet. But even that is no guarantee, not with Aaron Rodgers slinging the ball around at Jets training camp.

And if we’re pulling this series through the keyhole of the deadline, it’s because the Mets could be in sell mode and the Yankees look like a team desperately trying to convince themselves that buying is still worthwhile.

Anthony Rizzo (right) celebrates his home run with Harrison Bader as the Yankees swept the pitiful Royals over the weekend.Jason Szenes for the NY Post

Look, that doesn’t mean this won’t still be fun. Justin Verlander is set to pitch at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, which could be a pretty good show. Jose Quintana vs. Carlos Rodon should tell us something about both pitchers on Wednesday. The atmosphere should be good. There are bragging rights on the line.

We’ve had a lot of Subway Series matchups over the years when at least one team was out of it, and many of those still have delivered entertainment.

If you want to view the two days as a distraction from a woefully disappointing season of New York baseball, that is a valid way to look at it.

But that doesn’t change the reality that these are two fourth-place teams closer to last place than to third.

Nothing, bar a deal that sends Shohei Ohtani to New York, is going to fundamentally change that right now.

Yankees fans and Mets fans will be shoulder to shoulder at Yankee Stadium this week as the local rivals play a two-game set.Robert Sabo for the NY Post

A couple of wins for either team might amount to a dash of momentum, and for the Yankees maybe even some talk that they’ve turned the corner after sweeping the Royals over the weekend. They did wake up Monday only two games out of the wild card, so it’s more than feasible to think they could make a run at that.

Again: The Yankees right now have the air of a team trying very hard to talk the world into seeing them as far better than they actually are. Five straight wins against the Royals and Mets might accomplish that piece of illusion, but it doesn’t fundamentally change much about where they are this season.

Even if the Yankees make the wild card, there is nothing right now to suggest any real achievements will stem from it. There’s a very good chance Hal Steinbrenner would not even get a playoff gate or two from that.

As for the 46-53 Mets, the difference between 48-53, 46-55 and 47-54 can be distinguished by Count von Count, but should not matter much to Billy Eppler. Any chance of trying for a last-gasp run at the playoffs should have been extinguished over the weekend in Boston.

Justin Verlander is scheduled to start the Subway Series opener for the Mets while being mentioned in connection with next week’s MLB trade deadline.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

To the extent these games have a bigger-picture meaning for the Mets, it is probably as a showcase for any players they can offload by Aug. 1.

So, watch these games and enjoy them. If your team wins, brag about it. Just be aware it might end up being the best part of your baseball season.

Today’s back page New York Post

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Is this Ohtani’s last stand in Anaheim?

Prior to Sunday’s game against the Pirates, the Angels’ media corps gathered to take a group photo on the third-base line at Angel Stadium, in commemoration of what might be Ohtani’s last home game in Anaheim.

Ohtani himself wasn’t in the photo — hopefully out of professionalism on the part of the reporters involved — but if he does get dealt in the next week, it will be hard to view his stint with the Angels as anything but a staggering failure for a team that has not finished above .500 with him and Mike Trout in the lineup.

The ultimate summation of a six-year period in which Ohtani established himself as the best player in baseball and most unique superstar since Babe Ruth came in May 2021, when one luminary of the internet tweeted, “every time I see an Angels highlight it’s like, ‘Mike Trout hit three home runs and raised his average to .528 while Shohei Ohtani did something that hasn’t been done since Tungsten Arm O’Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Tigers defeated the Angels 8-3.’”

Shohei Ohtani’s future remains perhaps baseball’s biggest talking point heading into the trade deadline.AP

For as utterly unremarkable as the Angels have been, Ohtani has made them must-see TV every time he pitches or steps up to the plate. For those media types, he has probably driven a significant amount of coverage for a team that otherwise would not get much attention in a town where the Dodgers dominate the conversation.

With Ohtani stopping short of committing to re-sign with the Angels as a free agent, it looks like the best they can hope for is to get a king’s ransom in a deal that sends him elsewhere as a rental.

If that is indeed the case, the franchise will never live it down.

Trying to stay grounded

The hype around the Jets hasn’t reached this height in recent memory. The acquisition of Rodgers has increased not only the expectations for the team but also the excitement.

So much so that tickets for the Jets’ first four training camp sessions reportedly sold out within three minutes.

So much so that one video of Garrett Wilson’s toe-tapping catch on a pass from Rodgers in the back of the end zone at Sunday’s practice has created hysteria.

Garrett Wilson makes a highlight catch at Jets practice.

A clip posted by the Jets had racked up 720.7K views on Twitter by Monday afternoon.

Some advice may be in order, borrowing from the words of Allen Iverson, “We’re talking about practice.”

“Not the game I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last. Not the game. We talkin’ ’bout practice, man,” Iverson continued in the famous interview, saying the word “practice” a total of 22 times.

And in the case of this well-executed touchdown: Yeah, it’s fun, but it’s still practice.

It certainly is a positive sign for the team and the fans, who are hoping to see something similar when the lights come on for the 2023 season.

Jets fans are watching Aaron Rodgers’ every move on the practice field this summer.Bill Kostroun for the NY Post

It’s also certainly another sign of the connection between Rodgers and Wilson.

The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, who switched up his workout routine with basketball training sessions to get ready for Rodgers, has gushed over the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback.

More will be seen from Rodgers, Wilson and Co. when “Hard Knocks” begins in August, which also will increase the hype around the Jets’ season.

But for a team that has not seen the playoffs since 2010 or a Super Bowl since winning with Joe Namath after the 1968 season, the fan base and franchise have to be the most realistic in the league — or the best at character development.

If this season with the highest of expectations from another all-time great QB ends up going awry that history may be good practice, pun intended.

— Bridget Reilly

The best of the World Cup — so far

With each team playing at least one game at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, we’ve broken it down to a few of our favorite performances and trends.

1. The arrival of USWNT star Sophia Smith

Breakout star Sophia Smith left the defense in her wake during the United States’ World Cup-opening win over Vietnam.AP

Smith is “THAT girl,” in the words of Alex Morgan, and the world is beginning to see why.

In the two-time defending champions’ tournament opener against Vietnam on Friday night, Smith excelled in what was otherwise an underwhelming 3-0 win.

The 22-year-old knocked in two goals and added an assist, marking herself the youngest American to score multiple goals in a World Cup since Cat Whitehill, who was 21 in 2003 against North Korea.

Smith was left off the roster for the Tokyo Olympics, and the USWNT went on to settle for a bronze medal. The World Cup may bring a different result with Smith on their side.

2. Germany’s Alexandra Popp

The 32-year-old vet got things started for Germany with a pair of first-half goals in their 6-0 rout over World Cup debutantes Morocco on Monday. The match made for the largest margin of victory in the tournament thus far.

In the 11th minute, the forward headed the ball off a cross from Kathrin Hendrich into the net, and her second goal came in the 39th minute from an awkward caroming header off of a corner kick.

Alexandra Popp’s goal-scoring helped Germany get its World Cup campaign off to a blistering start.REUTERS

The pair of goals gave Popp a total of 64 international goals, putting her into third place on the country’s all-time list. Popp notably was out due to injury when Germany lost to England in the final of the 2022 European Championship.

3. The major upsets

Things have already begun to shift in the opening matches, making for what could be a few group-stage shockers.

Co-host New Zealand recorded a 1-0 upset over Norway in the tournament’s first match.

On Sunday, Jamaica shut down France, one of the tournament’s favorites, to secure a surprising 0-0 draw.

Jamaica celebrates a shocking draw against France. AP

Tournament powers England and Australia narrowly avoided joining the upset ranks in their opening matches, needing penalty-kick goals in 1-0 wins over debutantes Haiti and Ireland, respectively.

4. Look out for Japan

Japan cruised past Zambia, 5-0, for a dominant win with goals from Hinata Miyazawa on either side of halftime. Mina Tanaka and Jun Endo also each tallied a goal and an assist.

5. Late winners

Sweden’s Amanda Ilestedt ripped the rug out from underneath South Africa with a game-winning header in the 90th minute of a 2-1 victory on Sunday morning.

South Africa, which is ranked 54th in the world, led 1-0. Sweden had not lost a World Cup group stage match since 2003.

On Monday morning, Italy’s Cristiana Girelli scored in the 87th minute of a 1-0 win over underdog Argentina.

— Bridget Reilly