SEATTLE — After missing the playoffs in 2023, the Yankees have a chance to win the American League East in the next few days.
The club already secured a postseason spot — and partied hard — in Seattle, but another celebration is expected if the Yankees take their division. They have a good chance of doing so, as they entered Friday with a four-game lead over the rival Orioles.
While the Yankees lost and Baltimore won on Thursday, the Orioles have played some bad baseball lately. Before Thursday, the club lost eight of its last 10 games. Baltimore also has a 32-37 record since July 1.
However, the Yankees are not taking their rival lightly with their divisional magic number down to six on Friday morning and one last regular season matchup with the O’s coming to the Bronx next Tuesday.
“I know how talented they are, and I know how capable they are watching that team kind of come of age the last couple years,” Aaron Boone said Thursday. “They’ve definitely hit a rough patch here in the second half of the season and recently. I think being banged up has not helped them, obviously, but at the same, you kind of focus on yourselves right now and what you can do.”
Baltimore is more than banged up, as Félix Bautista, Kyle Bradish, Danny Coulombe, John Means, Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells, Jorge Mateo, Ryan Mountcastle, Ramón Urías and Jordan Westburg are all on the injured list. However, the Orioles are 6-4 against the Yankees this season.
The Bombers won their last series against the Orioles in Baltimore in July after dropping two sets earlier in the season.
There’s a chance the upcoming final showdown between the two teams becomes a moot point, at least in terms of the divisional race. The Yankees can clinch the AL East if they sweep the Athletics and the red-hot Tigers sweep the Orioles this weekend.
If that doesn’t happen, the Yankees could claim the division with the Orioles at Yankee Stadium next week. An underachieving weekend for the Yankees — and a winning one for Baltimore — could also make that series more of a nail-biter.
There is also a chance the Yankees face the Orioles in the American League Division Series, but the playoff picture is far from settled with nine regular-season games still to be played entering Friday.
For now, the Yankees are trying to stay present.
“You’re certainly looking at the week ahead with most your energy [being put] into today,” Aaron Boone said. “But as far as playoffs and stuff, there’s too much still to unfold to start playing mental gymnastics with that.”
