The Yankees are staring at a brutal little truth this week: before they ever get to October baseball, they may have to survive it.
The Rays roll into town for four games in three days, and the setup feels like the calendar itself is taunting the Yankees. There’s a mid-50s chill, dewy grass, dry leaves - all the usual signs that the postseason is near.
But because of where the standings sit, the Yankees will likely need to win at least one playoff game just to reach the actual month of October. If the Rays take even one of these four games, the Yankees are sent to the Wild Card round against the Red Sox from Sept.
29-Oct. 1.
That’s the reality, even if it isn’t the one anybody in pinstripes imagined.
So who gets the blame?
Aaron Boone has to be part of the conversation, because that’s what happens when a season gets to this point. The cleanest case against him is still the oldest one: it might simply be time for a different voice.
Something has to change. But this year, the rest of the arguments against him feel thinner.
He’s guided a team that probably should have been buried by injuries, not just knocked off its AL East chase, and instead kept them afloat. He’s also handled an undermanned bullpen as well as he could have.
That turns the spotlight toward Brian Cashman, and there’s a stronger case there. His confidence in the waiver wire and in a stash of injured starting pitchers to patch together a better bullpen than what was out there all offseason and at the trade deadline looks shaky now.
He may still prove himself right, but he already missed on the toll that August wear-and-tear would take. And the construction of the roster created its own problems, with the DH spot crowded by purpose and Aaron Judge pushed back into right field before ending up back on the injured list.
The Yankees needed bats. They did not need another pileup of players who don’t field.
Then there’s the Rays themselves, who have made this whole thing even more infuriating by simply being better. The Yankees went through a 5-15 stretch in midsummer, then corrected course and played some of the best baseball in the league in August and September without their Captain.
The problem was that Tampa Bay kept matching them. When the Yankees won, the Rays seemed to win.
When the Yankees lost, the Rays often did too. Their weirdly synchronized stretch kept the pressure on every step of the way.
At one point, the Rays even hit a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth off Mason Miller that had been in a Padre’s glove before it was dropped over the fence. That kind of thing can make a fan want to scream at the sky or tip a cap, depending on how much patience is left.
The Yankees still have a path, but it’s a narrow one. Unless they can somehow sweep this four-game series, including the doubleheader, the Rays will be celebrating on their turf.
That should tell you everything about how tight the margin is now. The question is whether that reality sharpens the Yankees or crushes them before October even starts.
In Other News...
Clarke Schmidt Just Hit A Brutal Moment In Yankees October Plans
The Yankees had barely gotten Clarke Schmidt back into the mix before another scare interrupted the plan. Activated on Sept. 16 after recovering from a second Tommy John surgery, Schmidt was being eased into a bullpen role as New York mapped out its October staff, with Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried lined up to start and Schmidt among the arms under consideration to help in relief.
Then came Sept. 24, when Schmidt felt cramping in his right biceps during warmups and never got into the game. Tests reportedly showed no structural damage, which is obviously the encouraging part, but it still adds another layer of uncertainty for a pitcher the Yankees were hoping to lean on as they sort through their bullpen options alongside Carlos Rodn and Will Warren. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Could Catch A Huge Break Before Facing Boston
A late-season storm could end up making life a little easier for the Yankees before they open their Wild Card Series against Boston. The Red Sox may be forced to make up one or two postponed games against the Cubs, and with Chicago tied with the Padres atop the Wild Card standings, those games matter for both sides. If the schedule gets squeezed, Boston could be dealing with doubleheaders or some awkward travel logistics right when it would rather be settling into playoff mode.
For New York, any disruption in Bostons prep is worth watching closely. The Yankees are still waiting to see how the calendar shakes out, but a crowded finish for the Red Sox would not be ideal for a club trying to line up its pitching, get healthy and arrive ready for October baseball. Even a small shift in routine can matter this time of year, and this one has the potential to do just that. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have A Playoff Infield Decision Fans Will Debate
Jazz Chisholm Jr.s return from a thumb injury has reopened an infield conversation the Yankees probably hoped would sort itself out. Former manager Joe Girardi floated the idea of moving Chisholm to third base, pointing to his experience there, while the current mix has already included Jose Caballero and Ryan McMahon in recent lineup decisions as Aaron Boone tries to keep the alignment functional and the offense moving.
Boone was more guarded about the possibility of shifting Anthony Volpe over to third, which only adds to the debate as the Yankees look ahead to October. Chisholms past work at the position and his current offensive production give the suggestion some real weight, but it also leaves the club with a familiar late-season problem: deciding whether its best defensive shape is also its best playoff shape. [Read more 🡒]