The New York Yankees have endured plenty of ups and plenty of downs this season.
It has all led to the most important -- and most difficult -- stretch of the season over the next two weeks. The Yankees will have four series and 12 games against the top teams in the American League and this will likely lead to determining the team's postseason fate.
The gauntlet begins on Tuesday night as the Yankees open a three-game set with the Houston Astros. They will then return home to face the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers before a road trip against the Boston Red Sox.
Why is this important? For a few reasons.
First, the Yankees are currently 2.5 games back of the Blue Jays for the AL East lead. They are also tied with the Red Sox for the top Wild Card position in the American League. These head-to-head matchups can provide immediate answers.
Also, the Yankees will get the chance to show that they can beat a team with a winning record.
New York is 37-37 this season against teams above .500. To narrow it down, the Yankees are just 7-19 against the four teams coming up on the schedule, including 5-15 against the Red Sox and Blue Jays. The team can erase the narrative against good teams if it puts together a winning two weeks.
The Yankees could not be entering this gauntlet at a better time. they are 13-5 since August 12, taking advantage of some of the lesser teams on the schedule.
If the Yankees are able to survive this stretch of the schedule, it eases up to end the year. New York will end the season with a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox while having seven games remaining with the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees have not had trouble taking care of inferior teams this season as they are 39-24 against teams below .500.
According to Tankathon, the Yankees have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league. At this point, there are many possibilities for the team that range from AL East champions to backing into the postseason as the third Wild Card team. This four-series run will go a long way to answer many questions about the team's postseason fate.