New York Yankees clinch the American League East
Photo Credit: New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are going to the postseason! On Thursday evening, they clinched the American League (AL) East title after their win over the Baltimore Orioles 10-1. This marks their second postseason appearance since 2022.
After missing the playoffs in 2023, the Yankees set their sights on redemption from the moment they arrived in Tampa, Florida for spring training. Their 2023 season ended with an 82-80 record and despite finishing above .500, the team still missed the playoffs.
Fans were disappointed and urged owner Hal Steinbrenner to fire general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone. Steinbrenner held a series of meetings to determine the organization’s next moves. Although no specifics were announced, he promised “big changes."
On December 6, 2023, the Yankees announced a blockbuster trade, acquiring outfielders Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres. In exchange, they sent pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez, pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, and catcher Kyle Higashioka to the Padres. This trade stunned the baseball world and put everyone on notice that the Yankees were on the verge of becoming the “Evil Empire” again. The Yankees took a risk in trading for Soto knowing he will become a free agent after the 2024 season. In January 2024, the Yankees acquired pitcher and New York native Marcus Stroman to fit in the Yankees starting pitching rotation.
At the start of the 2024 season, during March, April, and May, the Yankees emerged as the top team in baseball boasting the best starting rotation led by Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil. Their impressive performance came even as their ace, Gerrit Cole, was out with an injury for the first three months of the season.
The Yankees faced a challenging period in June and July, losing 14 out of 18 games. They struggled with poor performance by their bullpen and were plagued by injuries.
Two days before the trade deadline in July, the Yankees acquired all-star Jazz Chisholm from the Miami Marlins in exchange for three prospects. Chisholm would provide speed and plays in-field and outfield.
Despite a challenging two-month stretch that sometimes left fans wondering if they would again be disappointed, the Yankees found their stride in August and September and clinched a playoff spot and won the American League East title.
During the season, Yankees captain Aaron Judge delivered a historic performance, and has a .325 batting average, 58 home runs, and 144 RBIs. He will likely win his second American League MVP award.
The Yankees will find out who their Division Series opponent will be in the first week of October, following the conclusion of the AL Wild Card games.
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