The Yankees have a narrow chance of reaching the playoffs in the 2023 MLB season as they currently sit in the fifth position in the AL East division, lagging ten matches behind the final Wild Card position in the AL.
The betting odds at DraftKings for the Yankees making the playoffs are very unfavorable, with a -20000 bet for “No” and a +5000 bet for “Yes”.
The New York Yankees is one of the oldest and most triumphant teams in Major League Baseball, competing in the American League’s East division.
Founded in 1903 as the New York Highlanders, the team boasts an impressive track record with 20 division titles, 40 pennants, and 27 World Series victories, the highest in the MLB. Their most recent triumph in the Fall Classic was in 2009.
The team’s home matches are played at the Yankee Stadium, located in the Bronx, New York City, USA. This stadium, which replaced the previous one in use from 1923 to 2008, can accommodate 46,537 spectators.
Are The Yankees Out Of The 2023 Playoffs?
The New York Yankees’ hopes of making the playoffs this season are almost non-existent, although they have not been officially ruled out.
Despite beginning the season as the reigning AL East champions, they currently sit in fifth place with a 61-66 record as of August 25, trailing the division-leading Baltimore Orioles by 18 games.
The season started on a positive note, with a 5-0 victory against the San Francisco Giants on March 30.
Key players Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole performed exceptionally well, contributing to high expectations among fans.
By the end of May, the team had a respectable 34-24 record and was just half a game behind the final Wild Card spot, with Judge hitting 18 home runs in the first two months.
However, things took a turn for the worse as Judge suffered injuries, leading to his placement on the ten-day injured list twice.
Consequently, the team’s performance declined, recording a 21-27 win-loss record over the next two months and falling to 55-51 for the season.
Although Judge’s return in August sparked some hope, the team’s struggles continued, and as of August 25, they had a 6-15 record for the month and endured a nine-game losing streak, the longest since 1982.
This year marks the first time since 1995 that the Yankees have had a below .500 record this late in the season, making it even more challenging to secure a postseason spot.
Their remaining schedule includes matches against formidable opponents such as the Astros, Blue Jays, and Brewers, and only three teams with a worse record than theirs.
With 35 games left in the 2023 season and a ten-game deficit from the final Wild Card spot, currently held by the Houston Astros with a 72-57 record, the Yankees’ postseason prospects look bleak.
Their most recent defeat came on August 24 against the Washington Nationals, leaving them with just over a month to attempt a push for the playoffs.
What Was The Last Year The Yankees Missed The Playoffs?
The Yankees didn’t make it to the playoffs in the 2016 MLB season, ending with a 84-78 record, which was five games behind the last Wild Card spot.
It was not the first time in recent years; it was actually the third time in four seasons that the most successful team in baseball history didn’t make it to the postseason.
The season started poorly for the Yankees, losing six out of the first ten matches. April was particularly bad, ending with 8-14, including two streaks of four consecutive losses.
They extended one of these streaks to six losses at the start of May. However, May was generally a better month, with sixteen wins out of nineteen matches.
Despite reaching the season’s lowest point on May 5 with a 9-17 record, they went on to win the next three home series against the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox, and the Kansas City Royals.
This brought them back to a .500 record on May 24, thanks to a six-game winning streak.
June was also a good month, with fifteen wins out of seventeen matches. They started by sweeping a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium.
Then, they won three out of four away games against the Twins and two out of three home games, bringing their season record to 37-36.
However, losses against the Rockies and the Rangers halted their progress.
July was inconsistent for the Yankees, with alternate wins and losses leading to a 13-13 record for the month.
In August, key players Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez retired, while Aaron Judge made his major league debut. The team ended August with a positive 17-10 record.
September started well with seven consecutive wins after two initial losses. This raised hopes among fans and viewers that the Yankees might make it to the playoffs.
However, they lost eleven out of the next fifteen games, including being swept in four games by the Red Sox.
Despite winning five out of the last seven matches of the season, the Yankees did not qualify for the postseason, ending five games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who secured the last Wild Card spot.
What Is The Yankees Magic Number?
As of August 23rd, the New York Yankees are in a tight spot with a magic number of 54/19. This number indicates the total wins they need, and losses required by their nearest rivals to secure a playoff position.
The magic number is a critical stat in baseball. It’s the sum of victories a team needs, and the losses their closest competitors must incur to guarantee a playoff or division win.
The count decreases by one each time the team wins or a nearby rival loses. This concept came into play in 1947 during a crucial American League pennant race between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Currently, the playoff prospects for the Yankees are dim. Their elimination number, 19, is much lower than their qualification number. This implies that 19 more losses, or victories by teams ranked higher, will remove the Yankees from contention.
Despite making it to the postseason for the past six years, this streak might be ending soon. The team hasn’t recorded a below .500 finish since the 1992 Major League Baseball season.
Unfortunately, this season, the Yankees are already five games under .500. They must find their rhythm and put in a lot of effort to maintain their consecutive postseason appearances.