Can The New York Yankees Make the Playoffs?
Photo Credit: Bleacher Report
Now that I've calmed down from my tirade on Wednesday's Caller's Cookout Show and Thursday's Roundtable Gumbo Show, I'm able to calmly speak about the New York Yankees. This is a sad state of affairs in New York, as the Yankees find themselves in the last place they want to be: last place in the AL East. After an embarrassing performance against the Atlanta Braves, the best team in baseball, the Yankees find themselves below .500 and way out of the playoff race. The sweep has consequences as heads could roll and streaks can die. But can these Yankees pull it together and sneak into the postseason?
The Braves outscored the Yankees 18-3 in all 3 games to fall to 60-61. This is the latest in the season they have been under .500 since 1995. The Yankees are currently 6.5 games back of the final AL wild card spot entering Friday. There are three teams ahead of them for that last spot and 41 games left in the regular season. Ironically, in 1995, the Yankees were able to make the playoffs with the late season surge to get Don Mattingly his first playoff appearance as a Yankee. It's going to take that type of Herculean effort to make the playoffs this season.
If the Yankees are to make the playoffs, it must start now. The Boomers, who have been wanting but, have now entered the soft part of their schedule. The Yankees finish the month of August with series against the Red Sox, Nationals, Rays and Tigers. They should have a winning record in these games and finish the month of September. But if the season continues to keep going, south, heads will certainly roll. Yankee fans all over are screaming for the heads of Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone. While both aren't likely, one will have to take the fall and it could be Boone.
Photo Credit: USA Today
NJ.com columnist Bob Klapisch is noted as saying yesterday:
Here’s where the discussion gets interesting, because it’s a foregone conclusion Boone will be fired after the season ends. Last place is not a survivable outcome for any Yankees manager, even one with $2.7 million owed to him for 2024.
While it's not Aaron Boone's fault that the Yankees are faltering at the plate, he would be the likely fall guy to answer for this Yankee team struggles. He knows that his team has failed to hit all season, and Aaron Judge also says that sentiment. "That's what it comes down to, we're not showing up when we need to. Especially down the stretch right now, and we've gotten every opportunity to keep ourselves in the race. But we're not capitalizing on what we need to," Judge said. I've talked about the hitters on this team not having productive seasons at length like DJ LeMahieu, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. Scoring only three runs in three games is a prime example about what the captain is talking about. This team needs to get going now the postseason gets out of reach.
It's not because of anything Judge or ace Gerrit Cole has done. Judge is coming back from a toe injury and Cole is a favorite for the Cy Young Award. But regardless of their current state, this Yankees team is hopeful that they can turn it around. "We're just a couple streaks away from being right where we want to be," Judge said. "I think going home, getting a little reset and get back out there, I think the boys are gonna be ready. Just like [Yankees manager Aaron Boone] said all year, it's right in front of us. We've gotta go out there and take it." The Yankees are at their lowest point of the season, which is hard to believe after we've seen so many bad performances. Performances. It can't get any lower than being below .500 and in last place. The Yankees can get on the street in salvage this season but it starts against their bitter rival Boston Red Sox. Time to put up or shut up.
