The Yankees clinched their 60th playoff appearance in franchise history, with multiple challenges ahead.
Jose Caballero's walk-off single against the White Sox on Tuesday sent the Yankees to the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years under manager Aaron Boone.— And so it begins, the journey through that big, wide-open space called the postseason.
It’s where the Yankees have broken hearts for the last 16 years.time feels different. The Yankees are heading to the playoffs riding a perfect storm of talent, health and momentum. And let’s not forget the asterisk that could deliver the Bombers straight to the World Series: the American League powerhouses are paper tigers.The Bombers’ 3-2 victory over the White Sox on Tuesday ignited a wild celebration in the clubhouse. But unlike other champagne orgies, which are usually performative, this was one had a predatory feel – as if the Yankees were putting the league on notice. “I think we have a really good team,” said manager Aaron Boone. “That doesn’t guarantee anything, but I’ll certainly take our chances up against anyone.” This isn’t hype. The Yankees have the major leagues’ best record since August 11 and boast the only starting rotation with an ERA under 3.00 in that span. Does this mean The Drought’s end is in sight? It might not be the best team of the Boone era but the circumstances are more favorable than ever.The Tigers somehow blew the 12.5-game lead they held on August 25. They’ve been caught by the Guardians, who beat Detroit on Tuesday with only two batters in the lineup over .250 and three under .200.The Astros aren’t the Astros. Not this year. The Red Sox have stud ace Garrett Crochet, which makes them dangerous in any short series. But at this rate the Yankees may not have to worry about a best-of-three Wild Card shootout. They’re only a game behind Toronto with five remaining with the complaint White Sox and Orioles. The Yankees will almost certainly draw a first-round bye if they finish atop the East. That would shorten the path through the rest of the playoffs and make them odds-on favorites to win a second pennant in two years. And that would not only earn the Yankees a return ticket to the World Series, it would allow them to take care of unfinished business. To a man, the Bombers have not forgotten the embarrassment of the five-game unraveling at the hands of the Dodgers in 2024. Losing to a hated rival was bad enough, but poor fielding and baserunning turned in an industry-wide indictment against Boone and his staff. Keep the Yankees from hitting home runs, is what other executives snickered, and they’ll beat themselves. The Bombers will collapse under the weight of their one-dimensional offense.“I still feel like it’s yesterday ,” he said. “That’s how much I’m driven to last October. This October we’re coming to prove a point.” Chisholm added a second, salient thought about the Bombers’ plan to change the narrative: they’re not just good, they’re better than anyone else right now. “I’ve always believed this was the best team in the league,” he said. “The way we come together, the amount of talent and the way that everyone on the team wants to win a ring.” It would’ve been ideal if Boone borrowed a page out of Joe Torre’s handbook. The Yankees actually believed they’d put together a generational roster coming out of spring training. Maybe not 1998-level monsters, but good enough for 100 wins. But they were awful in June and July, blowing through the seven-game lead they held on Memorial Day. Incredibly, the Yankees suffered through two six-game losing streaks. It didn’t just cost the Yankees the East’s top spot, it woke them up to reality of the grueling slog ahead. So I asked Boone, “what if someone had said you won’t win 100 games, you won’t dominate, there’ll be periods of struggle, but you’re going to get hot at precisely the right time.Boone shot back, “technically, we haven’t gotten hot at the exact right time. The right time is still to come.” The Yankees still have to finish off the Jays. They’ll hand the ball to Max Fried on Wednesday with the hope of pulling up to a first-place tie. Even that won’t be enough, since Toronto took the season series against the Yankees. A tie after 162 games would still give the Jays the East crown. Still, all signs point to the Yankees running the table. Tuesday’s come from behind victory over the White Sox was just calisthenics for what’s around the corner – not only this week, but October’s wide open realm. Or Jose Caballero, who delivered the game-winning hit, put it, “this is just the beginning for us. We’re coming for the big thing.”If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
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