The MLB postseason field is starting to come together. On Wednesday night, the New York Yankees clinched a playoff spot with a win over the Seattle Mariners (NYY 2, SEA 1 in 10 innings). The Milwaukee Brewers had become the first team to clinch a postseason berth earlier in the day. They won the National League Central Division title.Two of the 12 playoff spots have been won.
New York clinched a postseason berth in the 10th inning when Anthony Rizzo hit a game-winning RBI double. In the bottom of the 10th, Julio Rodriguez was tagged out at third base after missing the bat of Randy Arozarena on a swinging strikeout. Let’s take a look.
It’s important to note that the Yankees have only qualified for the postseason. They’re guaranteed to be no worse than the No. 3 Wild Card team, but that’s about it for now. Their magic number to clinch the AL East — the number of wins the Yankees need plus the number of losses the Baltimore Orioles need to win the division — is six. New York could clinch the division as early as Saturday.
For the Yankees, a postseason appearance is just the first step toward their bigger goal: They want to win the AL East. The Yankees last won the AL East in 2022. They also want to finish the season with one of the two best records in the AL and earn a Wild Card Series exemption. The Yankees have the best record in the AL with an 89-63 record, 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians.
The Yankees went 82-80 a year ago, their worst record since going 76-86 in 1992, which was also their most recent losing season. Over the winter, the Yankees acquired Juan Soto in a trade. He hit his 40th career home run on Tuesday night.The Yankees last won the World Series in 2009. They have a chance to end that drought in 2024 if they qualify for the postseason.
The Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies are next in line for postseason berths, and all could clinch their spots on Thursday. Like the Yankees, these are just playoff spots. All three teams have a lot of work to do to win their divisions, despite leading the way.