Yankees Lead American League East; Judge Returns to Outfield
After making it all the way to the World Series in 2024, the New York Yankees have found themselves right in the middle of the pennant race again this year. They currently sit at 79-63, as of the morning of Sept. 7, and sit comfortably in the first American League wildcard spot. They are 1.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, who currently hold the second wildcard spot and 5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners who currently hold the third and final wildcard spot. As the current four seed in the American League, the Yankees would be scheduled to face the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in a three-game wildcard series if the season ended today. However, they only sit 3 games behind the Blue Jays who sit atop the AL East after splitting the first two games of this weekend’s series with a pivotal rubber game scheduled for 1:35 p.m. on Sunday, September 7.
Some major news in the Bronx this week is the return of superstar Aaron Judge to the outfield after missing some time on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain and being limited to designated-hitter-only.
Aaron Judge played all nine innings on Friday and is expected to start there again on Sunday. This is major news for the Yankees as Judge playing in right field allows the Yankees to get their designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton’s bat in the lineup alongside Judge.
In 59 games this season, Stanton is batting .287 with 19 home runs and a .987 OPS. It is crucial that the Yankees find a way to ensure that his bat stays in the lineup every day. Aaron Judge continues to stand as the frontrunner to win the American League MVP with his .322 batting average, 43 home runs and 1.099 OPS. However, the Seattle Mariners all-star catcher Cal Raleigh has been making an MVP bid of his own leading the majors with 52 home runs and 110 runs batted in.
Mets Holding On To Wildcard Spot
After their magical playoff run last season which led them all the way to the National League Championship Series, the New York Mets are also in the middle of their own playoff race this year. They currently sit at 76-66, as of Sept. 7, and are clinging to the third and final wildcard spot. They are being chased from behind by the San Francisco Giants who currently sit 4 games behind the Mets and the Cincinnati Reds who are 5 games back.
As the current six seed in the National League, the Mets would be scheduled to face the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in a three-game wildcard series if the season ended today. A major concern for the Mets has been the struggles of some key acquisitions at the trade deadline including Ryan Helsley and Cedric Mullins. Ryan Helsley, who led all of baseball in saves with the Cardinals last season, has been completely awful since getting traded with an 0-3 record and an 11.45 ERA in just 11 innings with the Mets. Cedric Mullins, the former all-star centerfielder for the Orioles, is batting just .182 with 1 home run since getting traded to the Mets. These struggles have prevented the Mets from making a significant push towards the Phillies who have a 7-game lead in the National League East.
