What's stoking hopes of Yankees surge at crucial moment
A three-game sweep of the Cardinals featured some encouraging signs for Aaron Boone and the Yankees, helping extend their breathing room in the AL wild-card race to 3 ½ games after Cleveland was swept over the weekend by the Braves. That cushion is now three games after the Guardians won Monday night in Arizona.
After the renewed oddity of using the visiting clubhouse and dugout at their Tampa spring-training facility (Steinbrenner Field) in two games with the Rays — as they did in the first road series of the year between the teams in April — the Yankees will get the chance to overtake the Red Sox in the postseason pecking order with a massive four-game set at the Stadium beginning Thursday night.
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Then the rivals only will square off again in a three-game stop at Fenway Park in mid-September to complete the 13-game season series.
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New York Post
25 minutes ago
- New York Post
How proposed MLB realignment would work against Yankees, Mets
Call it the Ea$t division. Following Rob Manfred's recent comments about MLB expansion that would lean into Eastern and Western conferences, one often-circulated proposed four-team division would be a heavyweight quartet featuring the Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Red Sox. Such a division would feature the second-, third- and fourth-highest payrolls in MLB this season in the Mets, Yankees and Phillies, respectively, per Spotrac, with Boston ranking 12th. Advertisement 4 The proposed MLB realignment graphic. New York Post Even if one swapped in teams like the Blue Jays and their fifth-highest payroll or the Orioles, who have a new billionaire owner and a strong core of young position players, the division still remains loaded. The proposed four-team collection is based on the idea that if MLB expands it will add two teams — possibly Charlotte, Nashville or Portland — putting the league at 32. Advertisement MLB would then create an NFL-like setup of eight divisions featuring four teams. 'I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,' Manfred said Sunday night on ESPN during the Mets' win over the Mariners. 'I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN because you'd be playing up out of the East and out of the West.' 4 Mets owner Steve Cohen spends with the best of them. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST A division with the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies would easily project as the hardest in the sport. Advertisement Emerging from such a division would be a ruthless battle each year and one of those teams would have to finish in last each year. 4 Hal Steinbrenner's Yankees have been passed in yearly spending. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post The East divisions already are strong, with the AL East having three playoff teams as of Tuesday and the NL East featuring three last year, but this would be a whole other level. Advertisement Gone would be the easier games against perennially bad teams like the Marlins, past Orioles teams and recent renditions of the Nationals. The Red Sox have had some lean years in recent memory, but they have a good core of players and seem destined to contend for the next few years and still spend in the top half of the sports. The Yankees, Mets and Phillies could always bottom out, but history shows that teams that spend at top levels in MLB tend to be in the hunt each year. And while, yes, that's always going to be the case that some divisions are stronger than others, the four-team template eliminates the chance for opportunities to beef up on a weaker foe. The owners of said team surely would have problems with the alignment since it could affect their ability to earn via postseason revenue. 4 Red Sox owner John Henry. Getty Images Playing the majority of one's schedule against those teams would be vicious, compared to say the Braves proposed alignment featuring the Marlins, Rays and an expansion Nashville team. A fourth-place team in that division — which could possibly mean missing the playoffs — may be better than division winners in other leagues, yet win fewer games than others. Advertisement These are all topics that MLB and the owners are surely to consider but, like most things in the world, cash rules everything around us and the money is going to do the talking. And, in that case, there would be a lot of money talking among those four teams.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Yankees added a hated pest, and now it's true love
ST. LOUIS — Before Jose Caballero was traded to the Yankees while playing against them at Yankee Stadium on July 31, he used to rile them up. Seriously, he was not liked by the Yankees. When the 5-foot-10 Panama native was with for the Mariners as a rookie in 2023 and then the Rays the last two seasons, he gained a reputation for bringing agitation and instigating into his total package, which includes a knack for getting on base, his best-in-the-majors' basestealing and good defense all over the infield and outfield. 'I've yelled at him when he was an opponent,' manager Aaron Boone said Sunday after the Yankees beat the Cardinals 8-4 for a three-game weekend sweep at Busch Stadium. 'He knows that. 'Yeah, I couldn't stand him playing against him and now he's turning into one of my favorite players.' Caballero is like a hockey enforcer that everyone hates unless he's on your team. 'He's a pest,' Yankees pitcher Will Warren said. Caballero loved hearing that. 'It makes me feel really good because that's what I'm trying to do,' he said. 'I'm trying to make them hate me. I don't want them to like me. I'm just trying to mess with them. 'I don't want them to have the full attention on what they're doing and rather a little more attention on me to try to hate me.' Now a Yankee, Caballero did his thing to the Cardinals all weekend. Starting in right field on Friday and Saturday nights and then at shortstop on Sunday, he stole four bases and scored four runs while piling up five hits, one of them a bunt single on Saturday that hugged the third-base line. Sunday's game was tied 4-4 when Caballero led off the ninth inning by chopping a grounder to second base that should have been a routine out. His speed, however, probably led to rookie second baseman Thomas Saggese rushing a throw to first that went wild, and this two-base error ignited a game-winning, four-run uprising. 'You know Caballero was in the back of the guy's mind when he was making that play,' Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon said. 'If I hit that ball, the guy catches it and throws me out.' Caballero was asked if his weekend performances showed off his full ability. 'Well, at this point, I'm just trying to help the team,' he said. 'I might have something in my back pocket, but you're gonna see it later on.' Hmmm. Wonder what Caballero is plotting? Whatever it is, the Yankees love what they're getting already. Since Caballero was traded for outfielder prospect Everson Pereira and future considerations, he's batting .333 with six hits, two walks and a sacrifice bunt in 21 plate appearances over 10 games, five of them starts at four positions. He's also five for five in steals, running his season total to 39. He led the American League with 44 steals last year and leads the majors this season despite hitting just .233 in 96 games. 'He's a baseball player, man, and to me that's the biggest compliment you can give someone' McMahon said. 'That guy is a ballplayer.' It didn't take Caballero long to make amends for his bad first impression as a Yankee. The Yankees added three relievers and Caballero in four separate on trade-deadline day deals, then all four newbies imploded the next night in Miami when the Marlins won 13-12 after trailing 9-4 in the seventh inning and 12-10 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Making his Yankees debut as a sub in right field on Aug. 1, Caballero fueled the Marlins' game-winning rally when he charged in to field a single, didn't get his glove down and two runs scored. That was a costly mistake, but Caballero has made all the plays since that night getting starts at third base, shortstop, second base and right field while providing a lot of offense and energy with his bat-to-ball skills, baserunning and antics. 'I told him I hated playing against him because you can see his speed,' Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. 'He just always puts pressure on the other team, whether it's stealing bases, even something like there in the ninth (on Sunday) where how fast he is can make the defense have to rush and play out of position. There were two outs and they're playing for the bunt earlier in the game. It's something you don't really see and it opens up a lot of holes. 'He's made a difference. He'll come off the bench and steal bags and he can play shortstop and play outfield. He's a really valuable asset for us and can do it in so many different ways.' Caballero does it without having much power. The right-handed hitter has only 15 career homers in 1,059 career plate appearances, including two in 279 this season, but impacts games with his bunting, speed and defense. The Yankees are +600 to win the AL East over on Caesars. Our complete list of the best NJ sportsbook promos will help you figure out which sportsbook to use. His one hit in four at-bats on Sunday was an RBI ground single to right field in the fourth inning perfectly placed between the Cardinals' first baseman and second baseman. 'I tried to just take advantage of what they gave me,' Caballero said. 'I saw the hole and was trying to put the ball on the ground and go that way.' Not many players do that in this age of baseball in which exit velocities and launch angles are preached, but this guy is a throwback. 'I don't know about old school, new school, now school,' Boone said. 'He's a good player. I like good players. 'To be able to defend the way he does at a number of positions … He provides something offensively. There's some patience up there at the plate. He can play the short game and he's obviously really electric on the bases.' Caballero, who turns 29 in on Aug. 30, probably won't be a short-time Yankee because he has four seasons of control beyond 2025. He looks like a keeper. 'He's a winning player,' Boone said. 'I'm really excited that he's on our team because he helps you win games.' Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton tight-lipped on latest health issue that followed return to outfield
ST. LOUIS — Standing at his locker Sunday morning, Giancarlo Stanton noticed Yankees beat writers lurking nearby when his 10-minute chit-chat with YES Network play-by-play man Ryan Ruocco was breaking up. Stanton cracked a crooked smile, then waved the small group over knowing the topic would not be enjoyable. And then Stanton answered questions for a couple minutes without providing any real details on the lower-body soreness that's had him out of the Yankees' lineup all weekend on the heels of three consecutive starts in right field. What's going on? Stanton paused for a moment and then responded, 'Ah, I was available (Saturday), I'm available today and (this week in) Tampa we'll see where we're at.' Stanton was just as vague when he was asked if there's a specific body part that's bothering him. 'I'm available to pinch-hit,' he replied. 'I'm not really going to get into that.' Manager Aaron Boone stated this issue is unrelated to Stanton's chronic pain in both of his elbows, a problem that he played through for most of last season and delayed his 2025 season debut until June 16. On Saturday, Boone said that Stanton's lower body wasn't recovering from his recent return to the outfield, which consisted of four starts and five games in right over a span of five days beginning two Saturday's ago. 'Yeah, that's accurate,' Stanton said. Boone also said that Stanton's current issue mostly was due to the outfield play resulting in muscle soreness that sometimes occurs when players are ramping up in spring training. 'Yeah,' Stanton said. After Stanton gave a string of very short answers in a friendly tone, he was sarcastically asked if he loves talking about his injuries. 'It's probably my favorite thing on the planet,' Stanton answered with a chuckle before realizing there's another topic that he also doesn't like addressing in interviews.'Or if I can play the outfield. But now this conversation is both of them!' Boone is undecided if Stanton will be an option in right field this week in Tampa. 'I don't know,' the manager said. 'Maybe.' Another probable option is Stanton returning to the role that he was in for all of last season and this year when Aaron Judge was available for right field starts: Designated hitter and pinch-hit at-bats only. The Yankees are in a fight to make the playoffs holding the last AL wild-card spot with 38 games to go after Sunday's game and Stanton has been one of their best hitters since coming off the injured list. In 43 games, Stanton went into Sunday batting .299 with 12 homers, 34 RBI and a .949 OPS. Stanton was told that he must hate sitting out recent important games and responded, 'Yes, I do!' Starts for Stanton as the Yankees' designated hitter will be an option once team trainers clear a return to right field for Judge, who is still rehabbing his right elbow flexor strain. Judge, who has been the Yankees' DH for 11 games in a row after a 10-day IL stint, appears to be getting close to returning to the outfield. His long-toss throwing expanded to 150 feet this weekend, but he might have to progress to throwing to bases before returning to right. As of Sunday morning, Boone wasn't sure if Judge would be back in right for the Yankees' upcoming games in Tampa on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. 'I'm going to leave that to the trainers and Judge,' Boone said. 'Basically, I'm waiting on the trainers to say, 'All right, we're ready to go.' I'll listen to that. 'I think (his throwing) continues to improve each time, but I'm waiting for that time when we can put him out there.' This weekend, the Yankees didn't want to risk Stanton's lower-body soreness turning into something more severe by sticking him back in right field. 'I just don't want to put anyone in harm's way, especially going into an off day (Monday) and there's a big outfield here (in St. Louis),' Boone said. 'And he's in a good spot to be a real weapon (off the bench) if we need something.' The Yankees are listed at +1100 to win the World Series over on BetMGM. Our complete BetMGM Sportsbook review provides an in-depth guide on how to register and use their app. Although frustrated, Stanton is staying patient to give him the best opportunity to make regular starts at DH in the final month-and-a-half of the regular season and playoffs, if the Yankees get there. 'I think he's very in tune and very aware of his body and very mentally disciplined,' Boone said. 'You see the way he approaches his at-bats and the playoff player that he's become and he is mentally, incredibly disciplined to all of it. And that means being honest with his body, too, and saying where he is and what he's capable of doing. 'I just think he's mentally so disciplined in every facet when it comes to this.' Often injured every season since 2019, Stanton's second season with the Yankees, he's been criticized by fans for missing so many games. There's been more Stanton bashing on social media this weekend. Boone thinks Stanton is unfazed by what people are saying about him. 'He's so mentally tough and disciplined that he deals in the reality and it doesn't matter,' Boone said. 'He doesn't allow himself to be frustrated. It's just 'This is what it is, I've got to go, and when I do there's no excuses.' So I don't even think he allows different emotions to creep in.' Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@
