The New York Yankees still have a chance of winning the AL East.
Right now, the New York Yankees comfortably hold the top Wild Card spot in the American League. Barring an unbelievable turn of events, they are going to make the playoffs one way or another.
But could that actually come via an American League East title?
The Tampa Bay Rays entered Thursday night's action 4.5 games in front of the Yankees for first place in the division. They were four games up in the loss column, which is what really matters.
But the bad news for the Rays is that New York is starting to get healthy, and the Yankees' schedule is about to get very manageable.
Yes, the open up a three-game set on the road against the San Diego Padres on Friday night, but then they have the Colorado Rockies, New York Mets and Minnesota Twins. New York should win all three of those series.
The Yanks will then play three games in the desert against the Arizona Diamondbacks before opening up a critical four-game showdown against the Rays — in the Bronx, mind you — between Sept. 22-24 (the first day features a double-header).
The Yankees will then close out the regular season with the Baltimore Orioles.
Aaron Judge figures to return soon. So do Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers. Giancarlo Stanton is likely done for the year, which will be incredibly painful come playoff time, but I don't think they'll need him to win the AL East.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, opened up a four-game road series versus the Texas Rangers on Thursday evening. It will then remain away from home to play the Atlanta Braves. A red-hot Houston Astros ballclub follows.
Yes, the Athletics should be an easy series win between Sept. 15-17, but then the Rays have three games at home against the Boston Red Sox before heading on the road to face the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies to end the campaign.
That is an absolutely murderous stretch for a Tampa Bay squad that has not been playing its best baseball of late.
I firmly do believe that when healthy, the Yankees are the superior team to the Rays. I haven't been a big believer in Tampa Bay all season long and think the Rays have been more a product of a terribly weak AL — and a brutally injured Yankees club — than anything else.
Surely, New York would much prefer to win the AL East and potentially snag a bye in the Wild Card Series than have to face the Red Sox in the opening round again.
The good news is that the division crown is not out of reach, and the Yankees could make the Rays pay later this month.
