The New York Yankees are 6.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East division lead and have lost the first two games in their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. As a result, New York is having a challenging moment as the final month of the regular season nears.
While the Yankees could have a strong finish to the 2026 MLB campaign to try and close the gap for the AL East title, their prospects of winning a World Series aren’t great, at least according to Chris Gimenez of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
Gimenez believes that the Yankees have one major weakness on their squad that will prevent them from lifting the World Series title in the fall.
“This is why the Yankees are not going to win a World Series this year,” Gimenez said in an Aug. 15 video from MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “And this is why the Yankees didn’t win a World Series two years ago.
“It’s not because of a lack of talent. They can’t pitch. No, no, they can’t hit. Their offense, still being what it is without two or three of their best offensive players currently, can still get the job done with that pitching staff. It’s because of the defensive lapses that they’ve had.”
Yankees’ Defense Against Blue Jays Shows Big Flaw
Gimenez notes that the Yankees’ loss in the series opener against the Blue Jays on Aug. 14 at Rogers Centre is a prime example of why New York shouldn’t be a serious World Series contender this season.
“Their defense [against the Blue Jays on Aug. 14] was not good,” Gimenez added. “That’s going to be the reason they will not win a World Series. And you can call us all you want, but if you’re a real Yankee fan, you know it just as much as I do.
“Because, dude, in order to win something like that, what do you have to have? Pitching and defense wins championships. Details, man. It’s the details. The devil is in the details.”
New York Falls Short on Defense Needed to Win World Series
Furthermore, Gimenez notes that when comparing the Yankees to a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York can’t come close to pulling off the defensive plays the reigning back-to-back World Series champions made, especially last postseason.
“Look at the Dodgers last year,” Gimenez said. “I’m just using this as an example. How many defensive plays did we see that were spot-on in Game 6 and Game 7? From an unbelievable pick at second base, right? Defensive catching, like catching in the outfield, knowing when to throw your hands up and knowing that situation, that is the thing. Those are the defensive plays that are the difference between winning and losing championships.
“The fact that Miguel Rojas was able to pick the ball, come around and make a perfect throw. And where is Will Smith? Right where he’s supposed to be, on top of the plate, to give yourself the extra four inches you needed to slide over to the right and make the play. If you do not clean up what you’re trying to do defensively, you’ll never win a World Series. I’m sorry. It’s just not going to happen.”
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