Yankees Facing Crunch Time After All-Star Break

The New York Yankees need to come back from the All-Star break swinging. With the second half of the season ahead, the Pinstripes are in crunch time if they want to make it back to the World Series in 2025.

NorthJersey.com's Pete Caldera wrote that the Yankees are facing a do-or-die moment in their schedule, having struggled through June and lost their once-dominant lead on the division.

"Boone’s club has 26 remaining games vs. AL East teams, two home-and-away series apiece," Caldera wrote.

"Creating a tougher road to a division title, the Yankees didn’t take advantage of a soft part of their schedule in June, while the Jays and Sox have surged," he continued. "Given Boston’s blistering 10-game winning streak, the Yanks (53-43) are closer to the third-place Sox (53-45) than the first place Blue Jays (55-41), with a two-game AL East lead."

The Yankees suffered a devastating fall from grace against the Blue Jays last month, getting swept in a four-game series that allowed the Jays to take the top spot.

To power through the second half, New York is expected to be a big-time buyer ahead of the trade deadline at the end of the month. However, their shopping list is long. After designating infielder DJ LeMahieu for assignment, the Yankees should be aggressively pursuing a third baseman. Due to injury, the starting pitcher lineup has been struggling, and the closing rotation has been shaky all season.

That's a long list, but not an unachievable one for a powerhouse team like the Yankees. If they can pull it off before the deadline on July 31, they should be well on their way to the playoffs. The Yankees will attempt to regain some of their dominance when they face off against the Atlanta Braves from Truist Park on Friday after the All-Star break.

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