NJ Advance Media | Max Goodman: The Yankees may have secured their playoff spot, but their focus remains on bigger prizes. That starts with the division, where the Yankees trail the Blue Jays by effectively
two games counting the tiebreaker entering play Wednesday. With Toronto stumbling in the final week and facing Boston ace Garrett Crochet, the Yankees have no intention of taking their foot off the accelerator. They understand the value of the bye earned by winning the division as it effectively equates to winning a Wild Card Series while affording crucial rest for the pitching staff.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Whether or not they manage to pull the division out from under the Blue Jays, the ultimate focus of each and every person inside the Yankees clubhouse is to win the World Series. There is a notable edge when the players speak about the hunger to win the ultimate prize and avenge the bitter taste of losing to the Dodgers last year. To that end, the celebrations after Tuesday’s playoff-clinching walk-0ff win were relatively subdued with everyone knowing there is still a long way to go before fulfilling their goals.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): With these lofty aims in mind, do we allow ourselves the optimism that the Yankees are peaking at the right time? After a prolonged summer swoon, the Yankees are an MLB-best 27-12 since August 11th. They have cleaned things up significantly on defense, they have a legitimate threat on the bases after acquiring MLB steals leader José Caballero, and David Bednar has steadied things in the ninth inning. Perhaps most importantly, the Yankees have a deeper lineup than last year with several players hitting their stride together.
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: At the beginning of the week, MLB announced the introduction of the ABS challenge system at the start of the 2026 season, and you might be surprised to learn that opinions are mixed on the Yankees. Aaron Boone admitted that he hasn’t always been on board with the implementation of the system but acknowledged that it was inevitable. Among the players surveyed, Cody Bellinger is a supporter, Ryan McMahon is undecided, while Max Fried and Ben Rice are detractors.
