LAS VEGAS — The Mets and Cubs are similar and different.
Big-market teams, check. Accepted losing for several seasons to get to an overall better place, check. Did that construction under a top baseball official who cultivated a championship elsewhere — Sandy Alderson (A’s) with the Mets and Theo Epstein (Red Sox) with the Cubs, check.
The meaningful difference is in area of emphasis: Alderson centered his reboot around dynamic young starting pitching, Epstein around vibrant young bats. It is the difference between arm and hammer.
Fittingly, the first significant steps in this brewing rivalry played out as differently as the teams’ strengths.