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After an up-and-down season, the Yankees are poised to make a run at another AL East title, sitting just two games behind the first-place Blue Jays.
And while the Yankees are secure in a wild-card spot — barring a complete collapse — finishing at the top of the division still matters.
Just look at Yankees history during Aaron Boone’s managerial tenure.
Since Boone took over in 2018, the Yankees have won the division three times and reached the ALCS each year they did so, including 2024, when they advanced to the World Series.
In Boone’s other four playoff appearances, when the Yankees reached as a wild card, they haven’t moved beyond the ALDS.
So, catching the Blue Jays over the final 19 games would seem to be especially important as the Yankees prepare for another key series in The Bronx against the Tigers beginning Tuesday.
“We’ll see,’’ Boone said Monday of how crucial a first-place finish would be. “We’ll see at the end, when it’s all said and done, if it means anything or not.”
Still, given the clear implications of their place in the standings heading into the postseason, it’s easy to see why the Yankees were pleased to have figured out at least some of the Blue Jays’ signs over the weekend, including Sunday in the first inning against Max Scherzer.
During Ben Rice’s at-bat, Aaron Judge was at second base and waved his arms, with Cody Bellinger also motioning at first base.
The result was a game-turning three-run homer by Rice, which helped the Yankees win the series and shave a game off Toronto’s lead in the division.
Following the game, Toronto manager John Schneider stated the obvious: “They were relaying pitches. They’re good at it. Major League Baseball knows the Yankees are good when they have something. Maybe I’m the only one that’s going to say it publicly. But we have to do a better job of making sure we’re not giving anything away.”
And much like his players, Boone didn’t apologize for being smart.
“Every team does something to try to gain an edge wherever they can,” Boone said while at the kickoff reception for SBH Health System’s third annual “NY Team of Heroes” Gala at Avra in Midtown.
“You create an edge and try to use it,” Boone said. “It’s a competitive world and a competitive game, and you never stop trying to get a little advantage wherever you can. If you can turn them into something, great. That’s the game, just like any other part of the game you work on.”
