If it weren’t for the expanded playoffs for the 2020 season, the New York Yankees would be in real trouble. Don’t get us wrong, they are still in a very uncomfortable position, since they are 4.5 games out of first place in the American League East with 25 to play, but given that eight teams will make the postseason, their situation is not yet critical, but delicate.
The New York Yankees clearly want to win the division, but due to a rash of injuries and the Rays domination (they took eight out of ten in the season series) the Bombers are now only one game in front of the surging Toronto Blue Jays.
Toronto added Jonathan Villar, Ross Stripling and Robbie Ray to an already talented core, so they are serious about contending. Therefore, the Yankees need to fend them off and start winning some games if they don’t want to jeopardize their place in the postseason.
Per MLB rules, this season’s playoffs will have the three division winners, the three second-placed finishers in each division, and two wild card teams.
The Yankees are nowhere near the elite of the American League in the standings
As of Thursday morning, the Yankees have the sixth-best winning percentage in the young circuit with .571 (20-15) and there is a seventh team tied with the exact record, the Houston Astros.
The Blue Jays are at 19-16 (.543) and lurking around. In addition, the Detroit Tigers (.500) are also relatively close to the postseason. For months, we virtually took for granted that the New York Yankees were a shoo-in for the playoffs, but injuries really bit the team hard and, well, here we are, seeing the club struggling to keep a spot for October baseball.
As the Yankees get healthier (they are still without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres, for example) they should be able to keep afloat. But beware of the Blue Jays.