Breaking down the potential AL Wild Card match-ups for the New York Yankees.
By Corey Aron
Let’s face it, the New York Yankees have had more then enough opportunities to try and win the AL East. The fact of the matter is that Toronto has been the better team.
Seriously though, anytime a team that features a lineup with three guys (Josh Donaldson 121; Jose Bautista 110; & Edwin Encarnacion 110) who’ve eclipsed over 100 RBIs, that should probably scream World Series contender.
With all of that being said, the Yankees still have a glimpse of hope to still insert themselves into the Divisional Series. In order to secure this highly coveted playoff spot, they will first need to host a do-or-die Wild Card game at Yankee Stadium.
We will take a look at the potential teams New York could face and how they might matchup against them.
Houston Astros: 81-74
We’ll first start off with the Houston Astros. Say bye-bye to the organization that would roll over and die while losing over a 100 games, because that Houston Astros team is to never to be seen again. At least not for a while with the type of youth they’ve surfaced onto the show. The Astros right from the gate got off to a hot start this season, but their divisional foes in the lone-star state, the Texas Rangers have had an offense of late like none other and now hold a 3 in a half game lead over Houston in the AL West. Boy, something about the magic of Nolan Ryan having taken over both organizations has made baseball relevant in the state of Texas once more.
The Yankees would unquestionably go up against lefty phenom Dallas Keuchel who’s currently 18-8 with a 2.51 ERA and 203 Strike Outs. You’d think he’s throwing 97 mph heaters, but that’s far from it. He’s probably the best pitcher in terms of locating his fastball and the movement of his velocity pinpoints right around the batters’ ankles. Get this, Keuchel is 2-0 against the Yankees this season along with: 16 IP 0 ER 21 K’s
Should the Yankees just throw in the towel if that’s who they would have to face? Needless to say Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve make up as being the finest SS/2B duos in the bigs. The one big question mark for Houston is they are under .500 playing outside of Minute Maid park but they are 4-3 against the Pinstripes this season.
Los Angeles Angels: 80-74
The Angels are sitting only a half game behind their divisional rivals Houston Astros. They unfortunately have to go out into Arlington to end their season on a 4 game set against the Texas Rangers which will be no easy task.
Manager Mike Scioscia knows a thing or two when it comes to facing the Yankees in the playoffs. The longest tenured manager since 2000 has had quite the run as LAA’s man behind the bench, as he looks to give meaning for folks out in LA to throw out their infamous rally monkey.
See what I mean ↑ that monkey is very intimidating.
Anyways going up against Mike Trout aka the next Mickey Mantle and one of the greatest baseball players to ever do it in Albert Pujols will be tough to say the least. However, the Yankees swept Anaheim earlier in the season at home and even hammered Angels’ #1 pitcher Garrett Richards who couldn’t last a full inning.
Minnesota Twins: 79-75
Only a game in a half behind the Houston Astros come the Twinkies. Paul Molitor has done an impressive job taking over for some big shoes to fill from former Minnesota skipper Ron Gardenhire. Now the last time the Yankees and Twins met up in the Bronx, the Yanks were also able to sweep Minnesota. HOWEVER, every game in that series the Twins actually had the lead making it a non-conventional type of sweep. The most exciting of the three games was when the Yanks were trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning. I’ll let the video below explain the rest.
Minnesota Twins: 79-75
Michael Kay basically lost his voice on that A-Rod Grand Slam call.
The most impressive Twin in my opinion has been rookie sensation Miguel Sano. After missing all of last season in a rare instance for a batter to opt for Tommy John surgery, Sano has bursted onto the scenes this season by absolutely crushing bomb shots. Three of his 17 HRs this season have come against New York, and their’s no question that him, Joe Mauer, the ageless Tori Hunter, Trevor Plouffe and Brian Dozier would like an opportunity to avenge all of their playoff losses that this organization has suffered in the past versing the Yanks and to become the possible Cinderella story in October.
Of course, Terry Francona’s Cleveland Indians’ tribe sit 3 games back with 9 games to go. So watch them prevail and over take the three aforementioned teams. If that happens, this will be my last ever written article. Let’s hope they don’t make me regret not making them their own slide, as much as I love their rookie SS Francisco Lindor.