The New York Yankees find themselves in a rather challenging situation. At the moment, the Yankees are positioned at the bottom of the AL East, and they are in dire need of victories if they intend to secure a spot in the playoffs. A careful examination of their schedule reveals that they have the advantage of facing three relatively weaker opponents. These matchups provide the Yankees with an opportunity to notch wins and potentially makeup ground in their quest for a playoff berth.
3. The Yankees and Tigers are both fighting for a postseason berth
One team that has been a bit disappointing this season is the Detroit Tigers. Many fans believed that this was going to be the year where the Tigers’ prospects would finally emerge, but the season has not worked at all for the squad. The Tigers are currently 28th in Batting Average (.233), 29th in runs (443), and 21st in Earned Runs Average (4.50 ERA).
The AL Central division’s overall competitiveness might offer the Tigers a chance to still make the playoffs, but their performance needs improvement to capitalize on this opportunity. The upcoming series against the Yankees could prove crucial for both teams in terms of their playoff aspirations, and these matchups will be closely watched by fans on both sides. It remains to be seen whether the Tigers can turn things around and make a late-season push for the postseason.
The Yankees have seven matchups with the Tigers remaining on their schedule. The two series take place on August 28-31 and September 5-7.
2. The Washington Nationals should be a cakewalk
The Washington Nationals, currently situated as one of the weaker teams in the National League, exhibit subpar performance metrics, having one of the worst WHIP (1.46) and an ERA (4.88) in the league. The team is currently rebuilding and seems to be actively trying to lose for their future. The Yankees are scheduled to play the Nationals three more times from August 22-24, providing them an advantageous opportunity to capitalize on the Nationals’ struggling form.
1. The Kansas City Royals are void of talent
Excluding Bobby Witt, there isn’t much talent in this year’s Kansas City Royals squad. It’s clear that the Royals need a few more years before they are ready to fully take the next step in their rebuild. Despite playing in the weakest division in the league, the AL Central, the Royals are not likely to make the playoffs. With a 37-79 record, Kansas City is a longshot to secure a spot in the postseason. Now it is time for them to see who belongs on the squad in the long term. Other MLB teams can capitalize on the evident weaknesses of the squad.
If the Yankees can’t sweep this team, especially at the end of the season in their final three games, then there might be some real problems in the Bronx. If the Yankees are already eliminated, this series against the Royals would provide a great testing ground to call up some of their prospects and see how they perform against MLB talent.
If the Yankees want to make the playoffs, these series are must-wins. They may not need to win every single game, but if they can’t win a majority of the opponents above, then the Yankees can kiss the playoffs goodbye. Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman could be looking for jobs next season if their team misses the postseason. This is do-or-die time, and it will be intriguing to see how the Yankees capitalize on facing these easier opponents.