The New York Yankees yesterday, clinched their playoff berth in the 2020 postseason. Entering yesterday’s Red Sox game, the Yankees were hoping to clinch on their own terms, but a loss to the Red Sox prevented that. Instead, a loss by the Seattle Mariners to the San Diego Padres. But a playoff berth is a berth, and the Yankees will take it.
With the guarantee of playing in the postseason, the Yankees join the Chicago White Sox, the Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Minnesota Twins who have also clinched their spot in the playoffs.
Just two weeks ago, when the Yankees were on a losing streak and dipped to .500 in the standings, it looked like the New York Yankee might miss postseason play altogether. But then they went on a rip, winning ten games in a row. One off the Blue Jays, three off the Baltimore Orioles, three more off the Blue Jays and two off the Red Sox. Then when the seattle Mariners lost their game yesterday, the Yankees place in the postseason was cemented.
The New York Yankees have had a topsy turvy baseball season. They started off the regular season with a bang, going 8-1. Then their fortunes changed losing 15 games out of 20. Their pitching wasn’t working and the lineup they had to put up due to so many injuries, just didn’t click like it did in a similar situation last year. Little by little as star players returned the, Yankee began to turn it around. Pevious to yesteday they won 10 straight games, as the Yankee pitching greatly improved and the hitters dramatically gained power, hitting 29 home runs in 10 games, and scoring 43 runs in the 3 game series with the Blue Jays.
The New York Yankees will go into the playoffs with the healthiest team on the field than they have had all season. DJ LeMahieu upon return was DJ, Gio Urshela continued where he left off, Giancarlo Stanton has found this stroke, and slugger Aaron Judge is sure to find his. The Yankee pitching for the first time this year, has shown what they can do. Ace Gerrit Cole leads the team in wins, J.A. Happ has been billiant in last few starts, and Mashiro Tanaka has improved. The additon of Deivi Garcia has only improved the pitching situation, and the return of Zack Britton to the bullpen has only stenghtened it.
The addition of Clint Frazier to the regular lineup, has had a great impact on team, with his quick bat speed, and improved fielding. He has made some dramatic diving catches. With missing players, Luke Voit took up the mantle to be the Yankee star of the season, hitting 21 home runs, leading the sport, and putting his hame in contention for the AL MVP. The Yankees shocked the Toronto Blue Jays Sept. 17 smashing five home runs off right-hander Chase Anderson, including back-to-back-to-back blasts on three consecutive pitches by Brett Gardner, DJ LeMahieu, and Luke Voit. After an out, Stanton and Torres slugged back-to-back drives, helping to power a 10-7 victory.
The Yankees are missing a few key elements to the mix. Luis Severino is out for the season, James Paxton is questionable, and Domingo German may not return until next year. The bullpen will be missing Tommy Kahnle, who is out with Tommy John surgery. But, even considering these missing parts, the Yankees have experience in dealing with such adversity.
Although it’s still mathimatically possible, it is doubtful that the Yankees can regain the lead in the East from the Tampa Bay Rays, there are only seven games left in the season.
The crazy season will end on September 27th, and the most unusual posteason will start off on the 29th. Instead of four postseason spots in each league there will be eight, for a total of 16 teams making the playoffs. The wild card series will start on the 29th. As it stands now the Yankees will face the Minnesota Twins in the Wild Card Series, at Target Field. The ALDS, the ALCS and the World series will be held in the “bubble” at Arlington, Texas brand new stadium, the retactable roof, Globe Life Field.
According MLB’s “bubble plan,” which ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported, all games after the wild-card round will be played at Houston’s Minute Maid Park (NLDS), Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (ALDS), San Diego’s Petco Park (ALDS, ALCS) and Arlington’s Globe Life Field (NLDS, NLCS, World Series), pending approval from the players union.
When the Yankees meet the Twins on September 29th, Aaron Cole will be on the mound, Masahiro Tanaka, and then either J.A. Happ or Deivi Garcia in game three. Prediction: Yankees 2-1. How far the Yankees get into the postseason and if they reach and win the World Series, is anyone’s guess, I won’t tread there yet.