Having hovered around .500 for most of the first half, the New York Yankees looked to be heading for a lost season. Winning 20 of their last 30 games, though, the Bronx Bombers have a very real chance of making the playoffs.
The Yankees made big moves at the deadline. Picking up Joey Gallo, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Heaney and Clay Holmes saw their odds shorten at sidelines.io/mlb/odds. A playoff berth seemed like a longshot at the time, but as of August 18th, the Yanks are given a 66% chance of making the postseason, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Injuries are still troubling New York. Clint Frazier, Luis Severino, Domingo German, Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, Gio Urshela, Corey Kluber and Aaron Hicks are on the Injured List.
They are still positioned to make the postseason, however, and here’s why.
Super-powered offense
Although just 14th in wRC+ as a team since the trade deadline, this Yankees lineup reads like an All-Star offense. The gargantuan outfield of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Joey Gallo is complemented by Rizzo, Gary Sanchez, DJ LeMahieu and the returning Luke Voit.
The raw power is complemented by solid approaches at the plate. They have the best walk rate in the Majors, a statistic which will only improve if Gallo and Judge can stay healthy down the stretch.
While production has not matched reputation thus far, there are signs that will change in the coming weeks. Their recent surge might be on the back of stellar pitching, but the offense is going to take off sooner or later.
Red Sox Hit A Slump
The Red Sox have gone 14-15 since the All-Star break. That’s even with a recent boost thanks to a sweep of the Orioles. Second place in the AL East almost certainly guarantees a wildcard berth for the Yankees, and they could yet catch the Tampa Bay Rays.
Boston was the runaway AL East leaders early on. Regression from some of their hitters and patchy pitching has brought them back down to earth. This Boston roster has much less talent than the Yankees, and they have struggled to compete with their division rivals over the last couple of months.
Although still a four-team playoff race, the Red Sox are at risk of falling out of it.
Helpful Schedule
The Yankees have seven games left against the Blue Jays. They wrap the year up with three at home to the Rays, and there’s another series with Boston in September.
Add three with Texas, six with Baltimore, three with the Angels and a four-game set with the Twins, and this is an ideal schedule for the Yankees’ playoff push.
Each series in the division is huge, and it puts their fate in their hands. Mix in the winnable series against non-contenders, and New York has a real chance to keep up their strong play from the last few weeks.
The Yankees are well-positioned. A wildcard is the least they can expect.
Hi! I’m Bryan, and I’m a passionate & expert writer with more than five years of experience. I have written about various topics such as product descriptions, travel, cryptocurrencies, and online gaming in my writing journey.
