Aug 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Yankees Division Hopes Alive, But Real Test Just Beginning

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The New York Yankees lost ground in their chase to reclaim the American League East, falling three back of the Toronto Blue Jays after their loss to the Chicago White Sox. They are entering what equates to a 25-game NFL season, where every win is paramount, and every loss digs the hole they put themselves in a little deeper. There's a silver lining to winning seven of your last eight, but two back with a month to go, and the most challenging part of your schedule coming up seems much more palatable than three.

Entering that series with the White Sox, manager Aaron Boone would have probably signed up for three wins, but something about losing that last game knocks a little luster off of such a hot week. That was an easy game to take. The White Sox have been exclusively stationed in the Central Division cellar for two years, with no hopes of leaving anytime soon. We are well beyond "it's only one game" territory, and they needed to take their South Side finalè.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

One could argue luck didn't roll their way when former Yankee, and the man the great John Sterling once proclaimed as the Sock Man, robbed what would have been Giancarlo Stanton's go-ahead home run. The issue with blaming fortune and the weird eccentricities of baseball is that, at one point, destiny was well within their grasp, and they didn't handle business when they had a seven-game lead back in May. You also can't reprimand Lady Luck when the manager seems like the last person on the planet to realize Devin Williams isn't built to pitch in high-leverage situations this year, and he gave away easy wins all season because of it.

Now the Yankees enter a gauntlet that includes the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, and Boston Red Sox. The wins against these teams won't feel as automatic as they did against the Washington Nationals or White Sox, especially with the looming narrative that these Yankees don't beat good teams and bully the bad ones. They are 2-8 against Boston, 3-7 against Toronto, 1-2 against Detroit, and 1-2 against Houston.

One thing they have to do is play crisp baseball. These teams are the class of the American League, and even though the Astros are no longer what they once were, playing well against the Yankees is second to their penchant for finding themselves in the World Series during the Jose Altuve era. Playing perfect baseball in the field is critical. This isn't the time for Anthony Volpe to boot groundballs or sail balls into the seats. If defensive lapses cause the Yankees to lose ground, Volpe, or whoever commits them, will be serenaded with boos upon their return to River Avenue. Being a homegrown talent won't matter to fans.

We've already seen how costly errors have been for these Yankees. In 10 games with the Toronto Blue Jays, they have 12 errors. This sloppiness and uninspiring play are the reasons why the Yankees are chasing instead of holding on to a division lead.

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