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Yankees on Deck: What is still at stake in final games of the season

pete caldera, northjersey.com
·4 min read

TORONTO – This sets up as one of the Yankees’ emptiest weeks in memory.

Eliminated from the postseason, manager Aaron Boone’s players hit the road for two final series – at Toronto and Kansas City – before they move into an early winter.

In the coming weeks, the team’s scouting meetings, strategy sessions, performance reviews will begin, and an outside firm, hired by owner Hal Steinbrenner, will conduct its deep dive into the Yankees’ application of analytics.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,’’ Yankees captain Aaron Judge said of the changes that need to happen before next Opening Day.

“We’ve got to hit the ground running, especially when this season ends,’’ Judge said Sunday at Yankee Stadium. “We’ve got a lot to work on a lot things to change, and a lot of stuff going on, on the field, that needs to be fixed.’’

Here’s a few things on the Yankees’ agenda over these final six games:

Avoid a sub .500 finish

New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge walks back to the dugout after being called out on strikes to end the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge walks back to the dugout after being called out on strikes to end the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)

Not since 1992 have the Yankees finished a season below .500, when they were 76-86 under Buck Showalter.

That 30-year streak is in serious jeopardy.

In baseball history, only the Yankees’ 39-year run of above .500 finishes, from 1926 through 1964, was longer.

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“It’s definitely an impressive streak and of course we want to keep it going,’’ Boone said recently of the Yanks’ current franchise run. “But I don’t want to get ahead of myself as far as what all that means.

“We came in with championship aspirations,’’ Boone said of the big picture view.

Play spoiler vs. Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer celebrates after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer celebrates after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

There’s not a lot of goodwill between the Yankees and Blue Jays, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to summon their best at Rogers Centre this week.

Especially with a postseason appearance on the line for Toronto.

Expect Boone to play his best lineups against the Blue Jays, and that includes Judge – perhaps as designated hitter in two of the three games.

It’s not known to what degree of discomfort Judge has been in, playing on a right big toe that suffered a torn right ligament on June 3.

But the slugging captain has vowed to play on this week, as an example to the Yankees’ youngsters and to impact important games for Toronto, which held a two-game lead for the second AL wild card entering Monday.

Gerrit Cole’s final start

New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Yankees’ ace has one final start in what appears to be an AL Cy Young award season.

And this would be Cole’s first Cy Young, having finished among the top five in the balloting five times, including as a narrow runner-up in 2019 to then-Houston Astros teammate Justin Verlander.

“To me, he’s the Cy Young,’’ Boone said recently of Cole, who beat the Blue Jays last Thursday at the Stadium, yielding one run over eight innings and retiring the first 16 batters he faced.

Cole (14-4, 2.75) has the lowest ERA in the American League and the second lowest in the majors, plus his 25 starts of yielding two runs or fewer is the most among MLB pitchers this year.

Including Thursday’s performance against Toronto, Cole has made five starts this season when he’s pitched at least seven innings and allowed three or fewer baserunners – the best by a Yankee starter in franchise history.

Yankees injury updates

New York Yankees' Frankie Montas pitches during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees' Frankie Montas pitches during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Frankie Montas might make a regular season appearance after all.

Sidelined all season due to right shoulder surgery, Montas has made two appearances (totaling three innings) at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Boone said it’s possible that the right-hander could be activated on the road trip.

That would provide Montas, an impending free agent, an extremely brief showcase for big-league teams interested in his services in 2024.

After a shaky performance (four walks) last Wednesday against Toronto, reliever Tommy Kahnle was placed on the injured list Monday due to right shoulder inflammation, ending his season.

Reliever Keynan Middleton (shoulder) has been throwing bullpen sessions and there’s a chance he might be activated this week, as well.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees schedule 2023: What is at stake in final games