The New York Yankees are coming off of a brutal weekend in which they lost three out of four to the arch-rival Boston Red Sox, narrowly avoiding being swept in a four-game series at home for the first time since 1939. The good news is that the bats finally busted out on Sunday night as the Yankees salvaged the finale, and now the Bronx Bombers get a bit of a break: They'll go up against the Washington Nationals and Chicago White Sox this week, two teams that are buried in last place and well out of contention.
However, while that could be a good starting point for a potential surge, it also might be the last break they get. Following that stretch, they'll go up against the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and the Red Sox again (this time at Fenway) in a two-week span that will likely make or braek what remains of their championship hopes.
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Yankees upcoming stretch could bury them in playoff race
While the Yankees should be safe for their current stretch against far inferior teams, things are only going to get tougher afterwards. Facing the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers and Red Sox in four straight series doesn't exactly bode well for a team that doesn't have their fundamentals down.
The Yankees are looking up at all four of these teams in the standings right now, and Toronto and Boston in particular have tortured them so far this season. If the Bronx Bombers falter again, it could ultimately spell their doom in the playoff race: They need to find a way to stay afloat and potentially even move back up to the top of the American League East, where they were in June before their most recent downturn.
This stretch, however, could spell doom for the Bronx Bombers as far as the 2025 season is concerned. They've struggled to even hold their position in the Wild Card race and were even on the verge of losing the third spot to the Cleveland Guardians, who have since cooled off. Right now, they're a half-game ahead of the Mariners for the second AL Wild Card spot, but while their place in the playoffs feels relatively secure right now, remaining mired in the No. 5 or No. 6 seed means a brutal path through October.
That is why this stretch against the Nationals and White Sox is so important, as they can gain some ground and potentially cement themselves into a Wild Card spot or even come close to taking back the AL East. But they have to take advantage of this opportunity.
If they don't, they could end up being a bit of a doormat for the other contenders.