The Yankees salvaged the final game of their four-game set on Sunday night, but they did little to salvage belief from their fanbase that this team is capable of going on a run and winning a pennant like last year’s group.
Those concerns about the Bombers performing against top competition? They have only intensified after dropping three of four to their AL East rivals. The frustrations with the avalanche of miscues that seem to haunt the team when they take on some of the better teams in the league? That has only grown. The doubts that this group has what it takes to right the ship and find their way in October? They are louder than ever.
Sunday’s win was hardly a consolation prize for the fans in the Bronx. They watched the Yanks commit four errors in Thursday night’s series opener, then watched the bats go completely limp against Brayan Bello on Friday. That was followed up by a seemingly rock-bottom moment of the season when they were thoroughly embarrassed by Boston in a 12-1 laugher that sealed a series loss in what many considered to be the biggest of the season to this point.
The four-game set in the Bronx was seen as a chance for the Yankees to validate their five-game winning streak, show that their lousy performance against the Red Sox earlier in the season was not their true identity, and most importantly, create separation atop the Wild Card standings. Instead, more questions have been raised about the team’s discipline and ceiling, while Boston now holds the first Wild Card spot.
Aaron Boone and company have maintained the “right in front of us” mantra that has been a go-to refrain for much of the season (and in seasons past), but the reality is, time is running out before there is nothing left in front of these Yankees. With just a week remaining until the final month of the regular season, the Bombers’ chance to prove themselves was just right in front of them, and it was squandered in spectacular fashion. Now, bottom feeders await in the likes of the Nationals and White Sox. Sure, it is entirely likely that New York goes on a run over these next few games, but what about the start of September when the likes of the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Red Sox await? This past weekend offered little hope that the Yanks will be up to task, nor will they be come October when those teams stand in their way in the postseason.
The identity of the 2025 Yankees has been one that lacks fundamental discipline and baseball awareness when better teams leave them with less room for error. These past four games did little to change that narrative. In fact, they only enhanced it.