New York Yankees' Latest Performances Are Devastating To AL East Rivals

It hasn’t been easy for the New York Yankees.

On Wednesday, it couldn’t have been more difficult to tell.

With the game tied 3-3 against the Kansas City Royals, fans watched as Aaron Judge elegantly smashed his seventh home run of the 2025 season in go-ahead fashion. A symbolic gesture to the rest of the league that the Yankees still run things.

Spring training adversity isn’t enough to debilitate the World Series mindset.

New York embarked on a four-game stretch against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, and after their win in the opener, they now sit a game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.

It’s a close, entertaining battle that could drift well into the summer.

The Blue Jays are finding a groove now that they’ve officially made Vladimir Guerrero Jr. the face of the franchise and have a pitching rotation that can contest with anyone’s in Major League Baseball.

That said, the Yankees are doing more than just winning.

They’re persevering and surviving.

How they’ve been able to accomplish that has been special.

Despite injuries to their three ace pitchers in Gerrit Cole (season), Luis Gil (60-day IL) and Marcus Stroman (15-day IL), New York is coming off a series sweep against the Royals and boast a league-leading .485 slugging percentage.

On the topic of special, Judge has been everything the Yankees could dream of this season.

He just might be “the best hitter in baseball.”

“I want to get on base. That’s the biggest thing, hitting in the middle of the order and hitting second a lot,” Judge said, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I’ve got to touch first base. That’s my job; touch first base and let the guys behind me do their thing, and if there’s guys out there on the pond, try to drive them in.”

If the defense can maintain the way it has to kick off the season, New York doesn't have much of a weakness, despite uncertainty about their top-three pitchers going forward.

The Yankees (12-7) head into Friday's matchup with the Rays after logging a comeback victory on Thursday.

Carlos Rodon will be on the hill for a duel against Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen.

It hasn’t been easy for the Bronx Bombers, even if it appears that way.