The New York Yankees are a few wins away from securing their spot in the American League playoffs. Aaron Boone has already started his postseason preparation, the pressure is on. New York suffered an embarrassing loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series. Aaron Judge and Co. have plenty of motivation to take on the Toronto Blue Jays and other contenders.
Over their last ten games heading into Tuesday night, the Yankees are 5-5. While that record is underwhelming, their competition makes it look a lot better. New York won series against the Boston Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Houston Astros since the beginning of September. That success goes a long way for a Yankees team with World Series aspirations when it comes to their confidence.
While some New York players believe their team is the top dog heading into the playoffs, they are not the only juggernaut. Toronto and Detroit are dealing with injuries to key stars, but each team is still dominant. However, the Yankees might enter the AL playoffs with the single best player in Major League Baseball in Judge. If he maintains his hot stretch, the sky's the limit.
When it comes to winning a championship, teams need the right mix of luck and skill. Boone's team has made deep runs in the postseason over the past decade. However, none of them got closer than three wins away from winning a championship. For a franchise used to bringing home hardware each fall, New York is in a disappointing drought.
Judge and his teammates have the talent to win it all. If they don't, the discourse calling for Boone to be fired will only get louder. Despite the drama surrounding the team, here is the perfect scenario for the Yankees in the playoffs.
1. New York goes on a run to secure the No. 1 seed in the AL
The Blue Jays and Tigers have been the AL's two best teams throughout the season. New York had their moment at the top of the standings but could not hold on. Detroit and Toronto took full advantage and will have home field advantage in the postseason if the standings hold. However, things are set up perfectly for the Yankees to go on a run and steal the top seed from both of them.
New York endured a rough stretch to start September. However, the Yankees finish the regular season with series against the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White Sox. There is a good chance that New York can finish the season without losing another game. If that happens, the Blue Jays and Tigers would have to be near-perfect to remain ahead in the standings.
As if an easy schedule was not reason enough, the Yankees are playing well as a team. Judge just won another AL Player of the Week award after a historic stretch. He and Cal Raleigh's race for the AL MVP might go down to the final game of the season. If Judge continues to dominate at the plate, there is no reason why the No. 1 seed should be out of the realm of possibilities.
2. Yankees draw the Tigers in the ALCS
Regardless of where each team ends up in the standings, the Yankees and Tigers could easily run into one another in the postseason. If they do, the series is full of interesting storylines. Gleyber Torres joined Detroit after helping New York make it to the World Series last season. However, recent developments might have him on the wrong side of the matchup.
The Tigers' fanbase held their collective breath when Tarik Skubal left a start with an oblique injury. Detroit manager AJ Hinch is confident that his ace will be on the mound by the time the playoffs begin. However, having him at less than 100% health leaves the Tigers at a big disadvantage in almost any series when it comes to their pitching. New York is an especially bad matchup.
While the Yankees could feasibly take down any AL opponent in the playoffs, Detroit could give them the least trouble. Outside of Skubal, Hinch's starters have struggled this season. The Tigers lost Jackson Jobe to injury for the season while Jack Flaherty has been underwhelming as a No. 2 pitcher. Playing Detroit in the ALCS is the best case scenario for the Yankees this fall.
3. Someone in the NL takes out the Dodgers
Despite having a full season to think about what went wrong in the World Series, New York still does not have an answer for the Dodgers. The Yankees lost the regular season series 2-1, including a game where Los Angeles scored 18 runs. There is a big gap between the two teams when each is at its best. For that reason, New York would much rather someone else do their dirty work.
The Yankees and Dodgers are similar when it comes to how each is viewed in their own league. Despite that, Los Angeles holds the distinct advantage in recent memory. Luckily for New York, the NL playoff field is a murderer's row of elite teams. The Dodgers are just as likely to get back to the world series as they are to be eliminated in the first round.
The Yankees deserve respect for how the second half of the season has gone after a slow start. However, most fans measure the team by how far they make it in the postseason. New York has a decent shot at a championship this season, but some things need to break just right. If it happens, Judge and Co. could lift the franchise's first World Series trophy since 2009.
