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Three great signs for the Yankees heading into the postseason
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Three great signs for the Yankees heading into the postseason

By Aaron Case  |  Last updated Sep 25, 2025 9:19 PM ET

The New York Yankees appear to be rolling into the postseason on a high note. The team entered play on Thursday tied for first place in the American League East, the first time they’ve been atop the division since the first week of July.

Whether New York finishes the season in first place or not, there are three clear signs that indicate it might have what it takes to make another run to the World Series:

1. Giancarlo Stanton is due for one of his ridiculous hot streaks

After bursting back into the lineup with a .981 OPS in July and a 1.253 OPS in August, Giancarlo Stanton has gone ice cold in September. Heading into Thursday’s tilt against the Chicago White Sox, he was hitting just .175/.232/.381 in 18 September games.

That’s bad news in the short term, but perfect timing for another torrid postseason from the ever streaky Stanton. In the 2024 playoffs Stanton went off, posting a 1.048 OPS with seven homers and 16 RBI in 14 games. If he can give the Yankees a similar performance, their offense should be in excellent shape.

2. Max Fried is finally back

In the first half of the season, Max Fried almost made Yankees fans forget that ace Gerrit Cole is out for the year, going 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA. Then, he fell apart, posting a 5.54 ERA in July and a 5.14 ERA in August.

As the Yankees fell out of first place and Fried stumbled, the Bombers’ playoff prospects also plummeted. However, Fried has bounced all the way back. In his last five starts, he’s 5-0 with a 1.89 ERA, providing a much-needed shot of confidence for the Yankees as they prepare for either a wild-card series or — if just a few things go their way — a first-round bye.

3. The bullpen is getting reinforcements

The Yankees have had bullpen issues all year. They currently have the fifth worst seventh inning-or-later ERA in the MLB at 4.50. In the offseason, they brought in Devin Williams to be the closer, and he’s been a bust, pitching to a career-high 4.95 ERA. Last year’s relief sensation Luke Weaver has also regressed toward the mean, posting a very human 3.73 ERA and only nailing down eight of 12 save opportunities.

The Yankees tried to build a super bullpen at the trade deadline, acquiring David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird. While Bednar has been a steadying presence in the late innings, Doval has been inconsistent at best, with a 5.09 ERA and 1.698 WHIP in 21 games with the Bombers. Bird is currently floundering with a 6.32 ERA at Triple-A.

But the bullpen is about to get new arms, as manager Aaron Boone shrinks his rotation for the postseason. One of the two young flamethrowers in the rotation — Luis Gil or Cam Schlittler — will likely end up in the bullpen, along with strikeout artist Will Warren (164 punch outs in 157.1 innings). If they can control their emotions, cutting loose for an inning or two could turn them into dominant bullpen pieces.

The Yankees have had an up-and-down season, but they seem to be getting their act together at the perfect time. Perhaps 2025 will be the year they finally end their World Series drought.

Aaron Case
Twitter/X

Aaron Case is a die hard Yankees fan from upstate New York who fuels his writing with too much coffee. When he's not riding the emotional roller coaster that is the MLB season, he's probably daydreaming and doodling or making beats. Follow him on X @AarontheCase1

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