The New York Yankees have a great shot to get to the World Series for the first time since 2009, as they finished with the best record in the American League and earned a bye to the ALDS. Aaron Judge has had a historic season and the Yankees hit the most home runs in Major League Baseball on their stampede through the regular season.
In the playoffs, the Yankees will be forced to rely on their pitching, and Gerrit Cole will play a big role in their success or failure this month. When Cole gets things underway for this Yankees playoff run on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, he will be taking the field at a very unique ballpark in Yankee Stadium. The star pitcher loves pitching at home, per Bryan Hoch of MLB Media.
“I feel like the passion comes through in the noise and the pageantry of the stadium,” Cole said, according to Hoch. “It's open air, it's cold, and it's just — the sound fills you from the feet up. It's just a different sound. It's wonderful.”
Cole has struggled with injury this year, but still finished with an 8-5 record in 17 starts. He struck out 99 batters in 95 innings with a 3.41 ERA.
How much pressure is on the Yankees to win the AL pennant?
The New York Yankees have experienced playoff disappointment after playoff disappointment over the last 15 years. They have not won the American League pennant since taking home the World Series crown back in 2009, and those 15 years have been filled with heartbreak.
In those 15 years, the Yankees have lost in the ALCS, five times, the ALDS three times and the AL Wild Card twice. However, this may be their best chance yet at returning to the sport's biggest stage.
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The bracket broke the right way for the Yankees in the Wild Card round, while they were sitting at home resting and watching. The No. 6 seed Detroit Tigers upset the AL West champion Houston Astros, and the No. 5 seed Kansas City Royals upset the Baltimore Orioles.
That pair of stunning upsets in the opening round of the playoffs is a good thing for New York, but it also amps up the pressure on them to finally get over the hump for the first time in the Aaron Judge era. They will be a heavy favorite against the Royals, and would be favored against either the Tigers or the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS as well.
If they get to the World Series, the Yankees will play against one of four NL teams that have been on fire down the stretch of the season, all of whom would present major challenges for them. However, a loss prior to that would be a failure in an American League that feels gettable in 2024.
