The Subway Series is back! The Mets won Game 1, beating the Yankees 6–5. The momentum of the game shifted in the sixth when a 25-year-old’s swing put NYM ahead 5–4. While he was praised from every corner, one message from the gridiron stood out the most.

Two childhood pals became pros. One now catches passes for the New York Jets, and the other swings bats for the Mets. And when that swing finally arrived, the Jets’ star, Garrett Wilson, came forward to appreciate his friend, Brett Baty.

The 370-foot homer from Baty’s bat against Hamilton changed the game. And just after that, Wilson went on his X account to post, “Baty bomb, stop playn.” It was an impactful home run, right after coming from Triple-A Syracuse in June 2025. Not only that, it was his ninth homer of this season. And Wilson’s praise made it more special!

Well, Wilson is not just a sideline scrub. The Jets picked him 10th overall in the 2022 draft out of Ohio State. He signed a four-year rookie contract worth $20.5 million in 2022. Garrett Wilson burst into the spotlight as the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2023 and 2024.

And talking about Baty, he has juggled with numerous injuries. During his 2022 MLB debut, Baty played 11 games, hitting two home runs and batting .184 before thumb surgery sidelined him.

In early 2023, his grip stiffened and affected his swing. He played 108 games that year, and he hit .212/.275/.323 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs. The following summer, he fractured his left index finger checking out at Triple-A in August 2024. In 50 games that season, he hit .229/.306/.327 with four homers. And this year?

Baty felt discomfort in his right groin in mid-June after chasing a foul ball down the third-base line against the Rays. But now he is back on the plate, hitting with .219/.271/.393 and 29 RBIs.

Now, talking about the second Subway Series, it was a great day at Citi Field. The Mets won the game against their crosstown rivals. But this friendship became the actual narrative, moving beyond the box scores.

Gridiron meets diamond: Jets’ and Mets’ stars’ cross-sport bond

Garrett Wilson has been there for Brett Baty before. Their relationship has only gotten stronger over the years, bringing together an NFL star and a budding MLB star in a story that fans can’t get enough of.

In June 2023, Wilson, who is now a star for the Jets, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Mets game. Wilson threw a perfect pitch from the mound while wearing Baty’s Mets jersey. Baty, who was wearing Wilson’s number, said the scene was “surreal” and “seeing his success is so exciting.”

But that night wasn’t the first time they had met on the pro stage. SNY talked about their shared past in May 2022. Reportedly, the two grew up playing football together in Lake Travis, Texas. Garrett Wilson remembered their childhood fondly: “Brett was a real good quarterback.”

And surprisingly, Baty was never a Jets fan. But ever since Wilson got in, he became “one of the biggest Jets fans.”

They’ve stayed close over the years, thinking about how their backyard Pop Warner days led to professional triumphs. Their friendship makes those highlight-reel moments more meaningful.