Yankees’ late-season rally fuels debate over timing of youthful approach

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During their difficulties in the months of July and August, the Yankees consistently stressed that they had the potential for a successful run. Manager Aaron Boone unfailingly defended the team, Cashman upheld Boone, and Hal Steinbrenner chided fans for demanding changes. However, the Yankees didn’t accept the reality until they were near the doom in the 2023 season.

Approximately four weeks ago, the Yankees shifted their focus from a playoff chase to a youth movement, accepting the reality of their situation. Since August 28, they have posted the best record in baseball at 14-6. However, their resurgence arrived too late to have significant meaning unless a miracle occurred. This has led to many questioning the Yankees’ timing of turning their focus to a youthful approach.

Yankees’ late-season rally prompts questions

The Yankees effectively conceded their season on August 22nd when they promoted Everson Pereira and Oswald Peraza from Triple-A, shifting their focus away from the playoff race they had fallen out of. On that very night, they suffered their ninth consecutive loss, putting them 10 ½ games behind in the race for the final AL wild-card spot.

The following day, General Manager Brian Cashman described the season as a “disaster,” and by August 27th, they found themselves at a season-low, being six games below .500 and trailing the last playoff spot by 11 games.

Over the next 20 games, however, the Yankees experienced a resurgence, posting their most wins in a 20-game stretch since going 15-5 from May 2nd to May 23rd.

While their 14-6 run included a sweep of the Astros, the Yankees also took advantage of 10 games against struggling teams like the Tigers and Pirates, along with four more games against the Red Sox, whom they helped push below .500.

Many argue that the Yankees would have had a better shot at playoffs, had they injected young blood in August or even earlier. Their argument seems to be valid, as the team regained its momentum in September following young talent injection. Benefiting from a favorable stretch in their schedule, infused with youthful enthusiasm, and maintaining solid run prevention despite an injury-plagued pitching staff, the Yankees have thrived.

During this period, they played without the usual pressure associated with a September in the Bronx.

But manager Boone quoted the unpredictability of baseball to justify the decision timing on Sunday. He emphasized the importance of playing well and handling their business. Boone expressed the desire to continue playing strong baseball and see where they stand at the end of the season

“You never know,” Boone said. “Strange things happen, right? We just want to play well. We’ll handle our business. If strange is in the cards, then great. But the biggest thing we want to do is control ourselves and hopefully continue to play really, really good baseball down the stretch. We’ll look up and see where we are at the end.”

Yankees and playoff hopes

As they began their final homestand of the season on Tuesday, they remained mathematically in contention for a postseason spot, trailing the Rangers by 6 ½ games with 12 games remaining. The Rangers hosted the Red Sox on Monday night.

The upcoming three-game series against the Blue Jays, who were slightly ahead of the Rangers in the wild-card standings, could have been a critical showdown with playoff implications. Technically, it still holds that potential—a sweep of the Blue Jays would temporarily keep the slim playoff hopes alive, although the Yankees would still require considerable assistance from other teams for that to occur.

However, the series could also serve as another setback for the Yankees’ postseason aspirations. Most likely, the Yankees will observe a scenario where the final two wild-card spots are claimed by a combination of the Blue Jays, Rangers, and Mariners.

The Yankees do have six remaining games against the Blue Jays, who, in turn, have another six games scheduled against the Rays. However, the Rangers and Mariners are set to compete against each other seven times, creating a situation in which one of those teams is poised to maintain a winning streak. This development is likely to further complicate the Yankees’ already minimal chances of reaching the playoffs.

Aaron Judge expressed that the team is not out of the race and they will continue to fight. He mentioned the resilience of the group during the road trip, highlighting that they believe they have a chance even when facing challenging situations, such as being down to their last out.

Clarke Schmidt mentioned that the team’s recent mentality has been positive. He emphasized the importance of having fun, going out to compete, and not focusing on the standings every day. This approach has allowed them to concentrate on their performance and compete without being overly concerned about the standings.

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