Before the Yankees’ Sept. 7 game against Toronto, the Hall-of-Fame lefty was honored for his induction to Cooperstown this summer.
CC Sabathia tosses out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium
Unsurprisingly, the New York Yankees are in the thick of the MLB playoff race with less than 20 games to go. After all, they’ve reached the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons. However, when you’re a team that prides themselves on championships, a World Series drought of even 15 years can feel like an eternity.
If the Yankees want to end that drought, they’ll need a lot of things to go their way. Of course, things get much easier when they earn a first-round bye or at the very least, home-field advantage in the first round.
Sitting two games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East entering Tuesday, Sept. 9, the Yankees have an opportunity to win their second consecutive division title. Here is what needs to happen for every possible playoff outcome for this Yankees’ squad:
What are the Yankees’ playoff chances?
According to FanGraphs, the Yankees have a 99.9% chance to reach the playoffs as of Sept. 8. However, they only have a 29.3% chance of winning the AL East. Similarly, if they win the AL East, they’ll have a decent chance at a first-round bye, with a 28.6% chance of earning the bye.
The only teams in the American League with better odds of earning byes are the Blue Jays (65.6%) and Detroit Tigers (90.9%).
What is the Yankees’ magic number?
The Yankees’ magic number to win the AL East sits at 22. Fortunately, their magic number to clinch a playoff berth is just 13, meaning they will need a combined 13 wins and Texas Rangers‘ losses to secure a wild card spot.
Yankees’ remaining scheduleSep. 9-11: vs. DetroitSep. 12-14: at BostonSep. 15-17: at MinnesotaSep. 18-21: at BaltimoreSep. 23-25: vs. White SoxSep. 26-28: vs. Baltimore