What is the New York Yankees’ magic number?

The New York Yankees are in a fight with the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays for the Wild Card. But what’s their magic number?

The Yankees, despite a subpar September, are still in position to make the playoffs should they close well with series against division rivals Boston and Toronto.

Doing so will be easier said than done, but the Yankees certainly have the talent to do it. Facing a tough task in Boston starting this weekend, New York’s playoff picture will be much clearer after they finish a series against the Red Sox.

The Yankees magic number is dwindling for now, as they hold a slim lead over the Blue Jays as of this writing.

New York Yankees magic number: 3

The Yankees can clinch a playoff spot — that is at least the second Wild Card spot — if they reach their magic number of three. Games against the Red Sox and Blue Jays should help matters, or hurt them to a point of no return.

Our own Aryanna Prasad sums up the magic number formula quite well:

"“The magic number is calculated by taking an entire season of games, then adding one for a total of 163. Then, the wins of the Yankees are subtracted, as are the losses of the secondary team.The formula looks like this:163 – (Division leader wins + Division runner-up losses)”"

So, there ya have it. The Yankees aren’t so far away from a playoff spot after all.