Fansided

Yankees have tough road ahead in MLB playoffs

By Rucker Haringey

BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 04: Manger Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees looks inform the dugout before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 4, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 04: Manger Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees looks inform the dugout before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 4, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

The Yankees are almost certainly going to end up as one of the AL’s two wild card teams. That leaves a tough road to the World Series for the Bronx Bombers.

Aaron Boone’s club isn’t playing good baseball at the moment, but the Yankees are still a solid bet to make the postseason. Unfortunately for fans in New York, the Red Sox have the AL East in a choke hold at the moment. That likely means the Yankees will need to proceed as a Wild Card team.

It’s only natural for Yankees fans to start to turn their attention towards potential playoff matchups at this point in the season. We’re here to give you the breakdown on the five most likely postseason opponents for the club. In particular, we’ll tell you who the Yankees don’t want to see in October.

5. Oakland Athletics

No offense to the AL West’s No. 2 team, but the Yankees wouldn’t be afraid of them if they matched up in the postseason. That doesn’t mean the Athletics would be a walk in the park, but it does mean that New York wouldn’t like its chances.

Predominantly this comes down to a lack of a real ace in the Oakland pitching staff. Sean Manaea has had a really good year, but he doesn’t have the playoff experience that some of the other pitchers we’ll discuss can boast on their resumes.

The A’s also lack an impact bat that really has a strong history of postseason success. This team hits a lot of home runs, but like the Yankees, they don’t hit for a very high average. Certainly, Boone’s pitchers would need to be careful with guys like Khris Davis, Matt Chapman and Jed Lowrie, but there’s not an MVP candidate in that group.

In the end, the Yankees would most like to see Oakland when October arrives. Unfortunately, the only real chance of that happening is in a one-game Wild Card game. That’s a tough matchup no matter who you’re up against.

Home/New York Yankees