Last night, the Yankees completed a four-game sweep of the Red Sox, won their seventh-straight game, brought their magic number to win the division down to one, and eliminated the Red Sox from playoff contention.
Still, Yankee fans left unhappy.
With a playoff spot secured and the division title sure to follow, Yankee fans aren’t at the Stadium to see nine men in pinstripes take the field — they’re there to see Aaron Judge hit number 61.
But as Yankee fans, it’s important to take a step back and appreciate the fact that the team is heating up at exactly the right moment. After their seventh-straight victory, the Yankees once again look like a playoff team who could make a deep run in October and November this year.
And it’s not just Judge.
Last night’s turning point was clear: the only meaningful run was scored in the bottom of the fourth inning, created by two players who have consistently outperformed expectations, Oswaldo Cabrera and Jose Trevino.
Cabrera started the inning with a double that split the outfielders in left- and centerfield. With one out and a 2-2 count on Aaron Hicks, Cabrera took off for third, stealing it easily as Hicks struck out.
This steal set the table for Trevino, who’s been as consistent as any other Yankee this year with runners in scoring position. As he’s done all year, Trevino slapped a ground ball between third base and shortstop for an RBI single that put the Yankees ahead.
With all eyes on Judge, Cabrera and Trevino snuck into the spotlight to give the Yankees the lead.
Cabrera came up from the minor leagues on August 17th, and it’s easy to forget how lukewarm the expectations were. Unlike Oswald Peraza (who came up later) or Jasson Dominguez, Cabrera wasn’t a prospect who garnered much media buzz.
Additionally, the Yankees announced that they’d be trying him in the outfield, despite the fact that he only played outfield positions a handful of times in the minor leagues.
Cabrera could have been a disaster. One only has to look at Rob Refsnyder’s embarrassing error in the sixth inning to understand what could’ve gone wrong with a player forced to play out of his usual position.
Instead, Cabrera has been a spark-plug for energy on this team. In addition to his outgoing and smiley personality, Cabrera has been on countless highlight reels during the past month, whether it was for game-saving outfield plays or clutch hits.
Jose Trevino, the man who drove in Cabrera last night, is an older story, but worth remembering. At the start of the season, Trevino was expected to share time with Kyle Higashioka behind the plate. He was seen as a defense-first player, and Higashioka’s home runs during Spring Training further emphasized the point that Trevino wouldn’t be an everyday player.
Cut to: Trevino making the American League All-Star team, batting 0.371 with runners in scoring position, and holding a 3.5 WAR this season.
In the playoffs, teams are going to be careful when Aaron Judge steps up to the plate. They’ll know he carried the Yankees when the whole team was injured and slumping, and they’ll fear his 60+ home runs and possible triple-crown title.
It will be up to the other eight players in the Yankees lineup to create postseason wins. Cabrera and Trevino will play a key role in the Yankees’ playoff run this year.
