Much like his former Yankees teammate Luis Severino did a year ago, Clay Holmes was bearded for his introductory Zoom press conference with members of the Mets media last week. Catcher Luis Torrens let his facial hair grow out a bit after being traded to the Mets last summer as well. Even manager Carlos Mendoza has sported some since coming from the Bronx to Queens. Juan Soto, however, appears to still be clean-shaven. But then again, he doesn’t appear to have ever been a big beard guy. The Mets didn’t set out to become the Yankees 2.0, but since David Stearns was hired as the president of baseball operations last October, he has brought a noticeable number of former pinstripe players and personnel to Flushing. This winter alone the Mets have signed Holmes and Soto, and hired assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel to work with Jeremy Hefner. It’s not necessarily intentional, but Stearns, who grew up a Mets fan, has noticed the narrative around the signings. “Having grown up here, having grown up a Mets fan, I understand how, for our fanbase, that is the case, but for me, I’m just glad we got the player,” Stearns said earlier this month when the Mets introduced Soto. “Didn’t matter from where he was coming from, I’m just glad we got the player.” The baseball operations staffers aren’t building a team with the Yankees in mind. What the Yankees are doing isn’t of great concern. The Mets are much more likely to pay attention to the teams in their own division. The offseason moves the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves make are much more important. The same could even be said about the Los Angeles Dodgers since that’s the team to beat in the NL. However, having familiar faces around does make it easier for the former Yankees like Holmes. It’s not the tipping point, but it’s attractive to have two teams in the same city that both boast contender credentials. “There are some people there that kind of gone before, there’s a little group there. But I mean, personally, I don’t see it so much as a rival or like you’re switching sides,” Holmes said. “I don’t really view it as too much of like a competition thing. Obviously, I’ve seen in New York, up close and personal, I love the city, I’ve seen the best fans from right across the city. I’ve seen the energy and passion and how much they care, and what they bring to the fanbase. That’s something that, you know, I want to be a part of… “Being able to stay in New York City and join the Mets, and [seeing] what’s being built there to hopefully keep this momentum going is [what] that drew me there.” Holmes isn’t naive to the fact that he’ll likely receive some boos when the Mets visit Yankee Stadium next summer. It’s nothing he hasn’t already experienced. It’s Soto who needs to be prepared for the barrage after declaring New York a “Mets town” during his introductory press conference. “It’s been a Mets town for a long time,” Soto said. “So I think we’ve just got to bring it to the top. Definitely, a championship is going to tell you if it’s a Yankees or Mets town.” This is why Soto asked owner Steve Cohen how many World Series championships he wants to win over the next decade. Cohen said two to four. “My view is, it’s such a big city, right? There’s plenty of room for both of us,” Cohen said. “So, you know, I like the fans, but you want to win championships — plural, championships. They’re one of the teams in the way. That’s always the case, there’s always somebody in the way, but they’re annually in the way. OK, well, guess what? They’re in the American League. I have to face them for the World Series. OK? I mean, well, I got the Dodgers right, and the Dodgers are equally formidable.” Last year, the Subway Series brought us Grimace Palooza. Who knows what it will bring in 2025, but ultimately, it’s an intriguing storyline that will add fuel to the rivalry’s fire.