The New York Yankees would love to win the American League East Division.
Not only does a division crown sound more exciting than a Wild Card spot, it also will probably come with a bye past the first round of the playoffs given how this season’s AL standings break down overall.
So it’s both practical and psychological for the Yanks to want a division title.
There’s just one problem: The Tampa Bay Rays don’t seem inclined to let the Yankees catch them.
AL East Standings
This is how the standings look entering play on Sunday, Sept. 6:
- Rays 85-57
- Yankees 81-61 (4 GB)
- Red Sox 78-65 (7.5 GB)
- Blue Jays 72-71 (13.5 GB)
- Orioles 69-74 (16.5 GB)
The Rays and the Yankees each have 20 games left to play.
The Yankees did already clinch a 34th consecutive season with a record of .500 or better, but that’s not something they’ll be spending any time celebrating. They’ve still got work to do.
And yes, it’d take a mighty collapse for the Yanks not to hold on to one of the three Wild Card spots in the American League, so for the time being, breaking down the division race makes the most sense.
The Yankees’ Rays Problem
If it feels like the Yanks have been three, or four, or five games behind the Rays pretty much every time you look, that’s because they pretty much have been.
These are two good ballclubs that are winning at about the same rate all season long. It can be hard to make up ground.
Take the last 10 games for each team entering Sunday, for example.
In the Rays’ last 10 games, they’re 7-3.
In the Yankees’ last 10 games, they’re 6-4.
To make up the four-game gap, the Yankees would need a stretch soon where they were at least a few games better over a 10-game span than the Rays, then keep the run going after that, too. It’s just not happening right now.
The Rays are rather healthy, too, which means there’s no real reason to expect a drop off there.
The biggest boost for the Yankees will come if and when Aaron Judge does indeed return from his injury. That could help propel a necessary surge to catch Tampa Bay.
They also do have a four-game series remaining in Yankee Stadium. On Sept. 22, the Yankees and Rays play a split doubleheader. They then play on Sept. 23 and 24, as well.
Those games could go a long way toward deciding the AL East Division title. In the meantime, the Yankees have to make sure they remain within striking distance.
Once that series is over, the Yanks will just have three more games to play, against the Orioles. Whether or not they have anything to play for in those contests will depend on what happens in the Bronx and in St. Petersburg over the next couple of weeks.
Yankees’ Standings Chase of Rays Hitting Same Roadblock