Heading into this weekend’s Subway Series, there is a new wrinkle in the Mets-Yankees rivalry. And it has to do with a slow-footed or suspiciously unlucky fake giraffe.

It all started this April when the Mets introduced the “5-Borough Mascot Race” to Citi Field. At home games, before the bottom of the third inning, five mascots representing New York City’s boroughs race on the outfield warning track.

There have been 22 races so far. The Bronx, home of the Bronx Zoo, is represented by a giraffe.

The Bronx, which is also the home of the Yankees, is 0-for-22. It is the only borough that has yet to win a race.

The standings to date: Queens (7 Line train) 6, Brooklyn (pizza slice) 6, Manhattan (skyscraper) 5, Staten Island (ferry) 4.

Bronx (oddly short-necked and very annoyed-looking giraffe). Zero.

One race even was won by rogue entrant Mr. Met. He crashed the race and finished first on April 19, which was also his birthday.

All of this could be a coincidence — perhaps the giraffe just hasn’t found its racing legs yet. Or it could be some sort of anti-Yankees shenanigans on the part of the Mets, who will visit Yankee Stadium on Friday night for the start of the Subway Series.

The Mets say it’s just part of the randomness of competitive mascot racing.

“We love seeing how much the fans have enjoyed the 5-Borough Mascot Race,” the team said in a statement provided to Newsday. “It's just one of the many ways we look to entertain fans at Citi Field. All the 5-borough mascots have put in the training and hard work to prepare for these races and like any competition, you never know what is going to happen or who will come out victorious. It’s a long season with a lot of races left, so we’ll see what happens."

Over in the Bronx, however, they smell something fishy afoot (or a-hoof). Bronx borough president Vanessa Gibson isn’t afraid to stand up for both symbols of her borough.

“The Bronx knows a thing or two about comebacks,” Gibson said in a statement provided to Newsday. “Our giraffe may be off to a slow start, but just like our Yankees, we don’t panic early — we deliver when it counts. The other boroughs can enjoy their wins for now, but the Bronx always shows up in the big moments. Don’t be surprised when our mascot crosses that finish line and reminds everyone why champions are made in the Bronx.”

When will that happen? When will the giraffe beat out the others, if at all? Remember, there are Mets fans from the Bronx, too, who are torn between love of team and pride in borough.

“I’m of two minds here,” said Aaron Ghitelman, 33, a Bronx native who lives in Brooklyn. “Obviously, I understand the bit the Mets are doing. I think they’re building it up. Intellectually, I can understand the giraffe is for the Yankees and Yankees fans. That being said, viscerally, I’ve come to 10 Mets games this year so far, and every single time I’m rooting for the giraffe. Every single time I want that giraffe to cross that finish line first.”

Hasn’t happened. What’s the problem? A real giraffe can run up to 35 miles per hour, according to the San Diego Zoo. The Staten Island Ferry travels at about 18.5 mph, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. The 7 train can top 50 miles per hour when it runs express (but forget about that if you get stuck on a local all the way from Grand Central to Citi Field). There are no stats for the running speed of a tall building or pizza slice.

In the first-ever race, during the home opener on April 4, the giraffe had the lead. Would a mascot from the Bronx go down as the winner in the inaugural race in Queens? What a nice gesture that would have been.

But the giraffe fell and the 7 train won, a predictable and probably necessary victory for the home borough.

If the giraffe is going to win this season, when would it be? Certainly not from July 4-6, when the Yankees visit Citi Field for Subway Series round two. The Mets won all four games against the Yankees last season.

“I think it’s safe to say the giraffe will still be winless by July 4,” Ghitelman said. “Maybe if we sweep the Yankees again this year, they can throw a bone to the Bronx.”