Aug 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) hits a double against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Yankees AL East Hopes Still Alive

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The AL East has been a roller coaster for the New York Yankees. They started hot, amassing a seven-game lead. They collapsed in the summer, came as close as three games back over the last month, fell to 6.5 thereafter, and are now within striking distance once more. With less than a month of baseball to play, they are close again, only 4.5 games back now, and have a real shot of doing damage this weekend.

To make noise, the Yankees need to do to the Chicago White Sox what they did to the Washington Nationals. They need to walk away with a clean sweep and hope that the Toronto Blue Jays have trouble with the Milwaukee Brewers flying up north.

Yankees Hopes Still Alive

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

If there is one thing that should give them hope, it's that nobody is better at beating up on bad teams than the Yankees. They will crush the weaker opponents, having gone deep six times in the finalè against the Nationals, even if, a few days earlier, they got a reality check by being outplayed by the Boston Red Sox. In seven days, we've seen every glaring red flag this team has to offer, and yet, they are still somehow in it.

What's most absurd is that there is a world where the Yankees somehow climb back into this despite having played so poorly against the AL East. They are currently 17-22 in divisional play. They are 2-8 against the Red Sox and 3-7 against the Blue Jays. To climb atop the standings, they will have to get around the two teams that got fat off of them all year.

If the Yankees do manage to walk away with a sweep against the White Sox, their last big test before the postseason is ahead of them. They have series with the Astros, Jays, Tigers, and Red Sox. If they manage to do what they haven't done all year, which is finally play well against good teams, the rest of the season has them facing off against the Twins, White Sox, and those beleaguered Orioles twice.

To say 2025 has been a seesaw is an understatement. The Yankees last had their largest lead in the division on July 2nd. The team spent 78 days in first place. They were their furthest back, 6.5 games behind the Jays, as recent as August 3rd. They have been close to returning to the top of the mountain multiple times. At this moment, Aaron Boone's proclamation of their best baseball being ahead of them will either be a prophecy or another bout of false bravado by a Yankee team that can only do damage against lesser opponents.

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This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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