The Yankees may not end up with the American League East crown, but around MLB, they’re still being treated like the club everyone else has to chase once October arrives.
That was the clear takeaway from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, who polled 16 MLB executives on the AL’s “team to beat.” New York didn’t just top the list - it separated itself from the pack.
“The AL's team to beat is ... New York Yankees: 9 votes. (Tampa Bay Rays, 4; Boston Red Sox, 3),” Rogers shared.
Nine of 16 votes gave the Yankees more than half the total, and they finished with more than twice as many votes as the Rays, who landed in second.
One rival AL executive put it plainly: “The injuries are the only thing that's held them back. They just have every ingredient for the postseason.”
That’s the case for New York in a nutshell. The roster has been banged up, but the talent has never been the issue. If the Yankees get to October healthy, the group on paper looks built to handle just about anybody.
The pitching is a big reason why. Cam Schlittler is the Cy Young leader in the AL, and the staff also includes Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Ryan Weathers, and other depth options. That gives the Yankees a rotation that can carry a series and then some.
And the offense? It’s every bit as intimidating.
Aaron Judge is back, even if he’s not at his peak yet, and there’s still time for him to find that gear before the postseason. Around him, the lineup features Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, Luis Garcia Jr., and Jazz Chisholm Jr., among others.
Put it together, and the picture is obvious: when this Yankees team is healthy, executives around the league see a complete roster and the one they’d least want to face in the American League.
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Boone has not ruled out Stanton missing the rest of the season, which pushes the conversation beyond a temporary setback and back into the broader question of what comes next. Stanton still has one year left on his deal, along with a team option for 2028, but after this kind of lost year, his place in the Yankees plans feels far less settled than it did when the season began. [Read more 🡒]