The New York Yankees have have already caught a big break against the Boston Red Sox in the MLB playoffs.
The New York Yankees will be facing the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series for the second straight year starting next week, and even before the series has begun, the Yankees may have already caught a major break.
Why? Because the Red Sox might be without two of their best hitters in first baseman Willson Contreras and designated hitter Mickey Gasper.
Contreras was hit by a pitch on Sept. 17 and said earlier in the week that his availability for the Wild Card Series is in question. Currently, he can't even grip a bat.
Gasper, meanwhile, suffered a biceps injury on Friday and might end up sidelined for the entire postseason.
This is enormous news for the Yankees, as Contreras and Gasper are actually the only two Boston sluggers with an OPS of .800 or better.
Contreras has slashed .276/.387/.518 with 27 home runs and 81 RBI over 533 plate appearances this season. Gasper slashed .255/.362/.473 with 10 homers and 24 RBI across 222 trips to the dish.
Otherwise, the Red Sox's lineup is fairly thin. Wilyer Abreu is dangerous, but really, that's about it in terms of hitters who should genuinely scare the Yankees.
Yes, Boston has a terrific pitching staff. Its starting rotation is very good, and its bullpen has been the best in baseball this year.
But New York's pitching has been pretty darn impressive, as well, and if Giancarlo Stanton is able to return in a bench role for the playoffs, then the Yankees' offense will get a major boost. Especially against the Red Sox's left-handed heavy staff.
New York should win this series. It's a shame that Aaron Judge will probably be unavailable, but I'm not sure the Yanks will need him to beat this current iteration of Boston, which has had a tremendous second half but has stumbled down the stretch and is now pretty banged up heading into the playoffs.
Contreras' absence in particular is huge. He is the biggest bat in the Red Sox's lineup, and he has ample postseason experience.
The Yankees are the better team, as their superior record indicates. They also have home-field advantage for this series, and they'll get to have Boston slayer Cam Schlittler on the mound for one of the first two games.
Am I saying New York can't lose this series? Absolutely not. We've seen how maddeningly inconsistent the Yankees have been this season, and they, too, are dealing with injuries.
But I definitely think that things are playing into New York's favor.
