New York Mets’ broadcaster Keith Hernandez just won’t go away. More importantly, he won’t give up on trying to diminish the work of the Philadelphia Phillies. Hernandez is known for speaking his mind, and has his reservations about the Mets’ division rival again this year, making his feelings apparent a few weeks back.
Hernandez was prompted in an interview in late August to reveal his thoughts on the Phillies. With a grin, Hernandez replied with, “They’re overrated.” It’s unsurprising coming from Hernandez, who enjoys making his Phillies opinion known to everyone. Luckily for Phillies fans, they now get to revel in the Hernandez’s plethora of cold takes once again.
Phillies make joke out of Keith Hernandez and his take on the Phillies season after their trip to Citizens Bank Park
Coming into play on Sept. 12, fresh off the four-game stomping of the Mets handed to them by their “overrated” rival, the Phillies now hold an 87-60 record and have an 11-game lead in the NL East. The Mets, on the other hand, fall to 76-71, have lost six straight games and are now in danger of missing the playoffs altogether. Not to sure there’s much to smile about in Queens anymore.
Almost in scripted fashion, the Phillies, and Mets have played like polar opposites since their last meeting at Citi Field Aug. 25-27. The Phillies rebounded like elite playoff teams do, even while losing All-Stars Zack Wheeler, Alec Bohm and Trea Turner to the injured list. The offense has been relentless regardless, while the rotation continues to put up scoreless starts. The Mets instead proved that they peaked months ago, as their starting pitching has come crashing back down to earth with a combined 5.77 ERA since their mid-August celebration.
Hindsight is surely 20-20, but the confidence from Hernandez is what’s most baffling. The Phillies fell to the Mets in last year’s NLDS, in the throes of the team’s supposed magical run that flamed out in the NLCS. They then signed Juan Soto to the richest contract in baseball history, tried to buy a perfect team worthy of a championship, and now find themselves 11 games behind the team that they call “overrated.” It might seem outside the box, but perhaps the 2025 Mets and beyond are the team that’s actually overrated.