Right after signing with the New York Mets for a two-year, $22 million deal on January 23, A.J. Minter has made some surprising statements that haven’t gone well with the New York Yankees’ fan base. The former Atlanta Braves’ star revealed that the fans in Flushing are much better than the Bronx, taking a dig at the Yankees.

The 31-year-old Minter, coming off a left hip surgery after spending eight years with the Atlanta Braves, went 24-29 and posted a 3.28 ERA along with 36 saves in his 384 appearances. Prior to being sidelined by surgery in August, he was 5-4 last season with a 2.62 ERA, saving one in 39 games, striking out 35, and walking 11 in 34 1/3 innings prior to the surgery in August.

A.J. Minter, after being a major bullpen player who helped the Atlanta Braves win the 2021 World Series, finally joined the New York Mets. In his six outings against the New York Yankees—four of them in the Bronx—he struck seven times and did not allow a run. On January 26, during a press conference, Minter said, “You can tell these Mets fans are truly baseball fans. Not like the other side of town.” Based on his statement, it appears that he has taken a dig at the New York Yankees by drawing comparisons between their supporters and those of the Mets.

Although he didn’t explicitly state it, he highlighted the Mets’ fan base, which has a higher pain tolerance compared to the Yankees, who frequently claim to have the best team in MLB. Minter continued by saying that the Mets have a plethora of die-hard fans who support the team through both wins and losses, which is part of the game. Minter is hopeful to start pitching soon and make a place in their hearts. Now, because of the strong attachment to the Mets and his statement, the Yankees and their fans have blasted him.

Fans share their reactions on Minter calling their fans better than the Yankees

Although it might not have been A.J. Minter’s intention to offend, his comparison of the two clubs’ fan bases has angered the supporters. With different viewpoints and thinking, they don’t seem happy with the statement and took a major dig at him.

One user shared a post on his X handle: “Bro said this with two former Yankees next to him too.” A.J. Minter sat alongside the former Yankees’ right-handers, Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas, during a panel. He spoke about the Mets’ fans, citing them better than the fans on the other side of the town. His bold comment on the New York fan base left his fan in surprise.

In response to the Talkin’ Baseball post on X, another fan commented, “LMAOOO WHAT… are we really going to act like New York isn’t run by Yankee fans… the Mets will never live up to their big brother.” Going by his response, he seems like a Yankees’ fan who shared an insight on the Mets being no match to the Yankees, termed as their big brother.

An X user wrote, “I can confirm Yankee fans are some of the best in baseball! Coming from a Dodgers fan.” He confirmed himself as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ fan, however, praising the Yankees’ fans. They have huge fan bases, and in 2024, the attendance at the stadium raked up to 3.31 million, which was massive.

Another fan comes in support of the Yankees, saying, “I went to Yankee Stadium 2 years ago vs. Cincinnati on a random Tuesday. The stadium was packed, and the fans were awesome and beyond knowledgeable about the game. I’m a Nats fan, and I was impressed.” He talked about the jam-packed stadium and believed that the fans have a lot of knowledge, which made him impressed, despite being a Nats fan. That surely justifies the credibility and knowledge the Yankees’ fans possess, and they see no comparison with others.

A quirky fan said on his X post, “@realajminter and @Mets deserve one another. I’ll leave it there.” Based on the fan’s funny reaction, it seems like the Mets and A.J. Minter always wanted each other. Now, given his signing with the club, everything looks sorted out, although he remains silent in commenting on Minter’s statement.

What’s your opinion on the statement made by A.J. Minter? Do share your thoughts in the comment section below.