Fansided

Yankees fans shouldn’t give up on this team just yet

By Rucker Haringey

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images) /
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The Yankees are falling out of the AL East race at the moment and fans are panicking. All is not lost in the Bronx; there are serious reasons for hope.

Taking a stroll around Yankees Twitter is a pretty depressing trip. Many fans are convinced the team’s current three-game losing streak portends a tailspin of epic proportions. It’s time for Yankees fans to take a deep breath and get some perspective. All is not lost.

Instead of just telling you to relax, we’re going to help you achieve some zen. We will walk you through five reasons for optimism for the Yankees this season. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to catch Boston in the division, but this is still a playoff team who has the talent to win a World Series. Let’s start by correcting an obvious misconception.

5. The Yankees don’t have to win the AL East

Yes, having to go up against a team like the Mariners in a one-game Wild Card Playoff is a scary proposition. No one wants to have to hammer James Paxton to make it to an actual series. That doesn’t mean winning the Wild Card is a death knell for Yankee playoff hopes.

It’s actually possible that the Yankees can lose the division to the Red Sox and still outperform them in the playoffs. That isn’t something fans in the Bronx want to rely on at the moment, but that doesn’t make it any less possible.

Winning the AL East should remain the Yankees’ priority right up until the day it becomes mathematically impossible. The season doesn’t end if/when Boston clinches the division though. Wild Card teams have a chance to win the World Series too. It would be a harder road for the Yankees, but it’s not one the team can’t successfully travel.

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