MLB Power Rankings: Struggling Yankees, Mets in free-fall mode

MLB Power Rankings: Struggling Yankees, Mets in free-fall mode

After a brilliant start to the season, the Mets have 

seemingly forgotten how to win.

After a brilliant start to the season, the Mets have seemingly forgotten how to win.

Memorial Day is one of baseball's traditional measuring points and we don't like what we see from the locals lately. Both the Mets and Yankees are sputtering and tumbling in our Daily News MLB Power Rankings.

The recent poor play also has us wondering if New York's baseball season is going to end before October. Yikes!

The Yankees have lost six in a row and 10 of 11. The six consecutive losses is the longest single-season losing streak since 2011. Yes, the team made the playoffs that year. No, it doesn't look good this year, at least so far.

Derek Jeter Claims He Doesn't Miss Baseball 'At All'

Derek Jeter Claims He Doesn't Miss Baseball 'At All'

Derek Jeter

Retired New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter apparently has no regrets about walking away from Major League Baseball after an accomplished career that spanned 20 seasons.

FoxSports.com's Jimmy Traina relayed what Jeter had to say during a radio interview Wednesday about his lack of desire to play and his ambivalence toward what's gone on at the dawn of the 2015MLB campaign:

Jeter, 40, was the Yankees' longtime captain, a 14-time All-Star and a member of five World Series champions for the historic Bronx Bombers.

To play such a significant role for pro baseball's most recognizable franchise for as long as he did, there's little more Jeter could have hoped to accomplish. Fans will continue to adore him, and Jeter will likely continue enjoying the rest of his life away from the game with few regrets, if any at all.

Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports' Big League Stew put it well: "With baseball behind him, Jeter can now enjoy a life filled with money, supermodels and pretty much whatever he wants. When you put it that way, it's hard to believe Jeter waited this long."

There's still a chance Jeter may become involved as a coach or in an alternative MLB role someday. At least for now, he seems perfectly content with his life away from baseball in this early stage of retirement.

Bleacher Report

JAPAN BASEBALL FANS THRILLED BY SUZUKI TRADE

JAPAN BASEBALL FANS THRILLED BY SUZUKI TRADE

Ichiro Suzuki

TOKYO -- Japan reacted to the news that Ichiro Suzuki has been traded to the New York Yankees with surprise and anticipation that the move might lead to a World Series ring.

The Yankees acquired the star outfielder from Seattle in a trade for two young pitchers, bringing a close to Suzuki's 11 1/2-year career with the Mariners.

Suzuki is the most recognizable athlete in Japan, where he is revered for his stoicism, perseverance and attention to detail.

All the major Japanese newspapers splashed the move on the front pages of their Tuesday editions, with photos of Suzuki in his Yankees uniform. It was the top item on the news for public broadcaster NHK.

The 38-year-old Suzuki went from the last-place team in the AL West to the first-place team in the AL East.

"He's the top Japanese athlete in the world, both in terms of fame and skill," said Takuya Matsuo, a 26-year-old from Yokohama. "The Yankees have a strong image, so this increases the chances he'll win a World Series. He is getting older, so he probably wanted to see if he could experience being a champion. It'll be fun to watch a fellow Japanese give it his best."

After a stellar career in Japan, he was the AL MVP and rookie of the year in 2001 as the Mariners reached the AL championship series before losing to the Yankees. Seattle has not been back to the playoffs since.

"Now that the Yankees have him, they'll probably get to the World Series," said 22-year-old security guard Shohei Abe.

Japanese evening TV shows dissected his at-bats in his first game Monday, when he got a hit in his first outing against his old team and then stole second base, his 16th of the season. Suzuki went 1 for 4 in his Yankees debut and caught the final out in New York's 4-1 victory over Seattle on Monday at Safeco Field.

His father Nobuyuki Suzuki said it felt the same as when his son joined the pros at age 18.

"More than being happy, my feeling is just go for it," he told Japanese TV networks. "Whatever team you're on, baseball is the same."

Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh said the move took him by surprise.

"However, this is something he wanted and I look forward to seeing him play for the Yankees," Oh said.

Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player in the major leagues, said he thinks the move will be good for Suzuki.

"There are a lot of great players on the Yankees and he should fit right in," Murakami said. "The Mariners had a lot of young players and are not contenders, so it wasn't easy for Ichiro there."

Sportsnet