What It Would Take for the Yankees to Make the Playoffs

With just 13 games remaining, the New York Yankees are not yet mathematically eliminated from the postseason race, but face extremely long odds.

After a day off Monday, the New York Yankees will enter the final stretch of the 2016 season still with a chance to challenge for a postseason berth, even following a crushing four game sweep by the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees have one series remaining against each team in the American League East, three of whom currently hold playoff spots. New York will get a three game warm up against the Tampa Bay Rays before three straight sets against the teams they are chasing.

Admittedly, things do look pretty bleak. The good guys are four games out of the second Wild Card spot, with four teams to jump over if they hope to play into October. While the Blue Jays, Astros, and Tigers have been slumping of late, the Seattle Mariners have finally woken up and have been one of the American League’s hottest teams recently, going 8-2 in their last 10 contests.

More from Yankees News

• Diamondbacks outfielder’s comment on Carlos Rodón’s IG raises eyebrows
• Aaron Judge Time interview scared Yankees as much as it scared you
• Why weren’t Yankees in on Kodai Senga now that we know the price?
• Baseball Reference proves Yankees’ Aaron Judge lives rent free in Boston
• Yankees’ Clay Holmes trade just became even bigger disaster for Pirates

FanGraphs has the Yankees current odds of making the playoffs at 1.7%, while Baseball Prospectus has them at only a slightly more optimistic 3.6%. It is worth remembering that they aren’t that far removed from a seven game winning streak that brought them within one game of a Wild Card spot.

Of course, since that streak ended New York has gone 1-7 including five straight losses. The Yankees did score a solid 18 runs during their four game match-up against Boston, but their pitching has been a complete disaster, especially the bullpen.

As unlikely as that recent winning streak was, the team will have to do even better in these last few weeks to make the postseason. Winning 10 or 11 of their remaining 13 games is probably what it would take.

When speaking to Ryan Hatch of NJ Advanced Media, third baseman Chase Headley acknowledged they faced a steep climb back to a playoff spot, but hasn’t given up hope. “It’s a big hole, but certainly not the biggest hole that’s been overcome. We’ve got to get hot in a hurry,” he told the reporter.

Of course Headley is one of several key Yankees who are banged up to finish the season. He sat out of Sunday’s finale against the Sox with back stiffness, and the team isn’t sure when he will return. Starlin Castro and Jacoby Ellsbury were also injured Saturday and neither is certain to play again in 2016. Add in outfielders Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks, who are both on the 15-day disabled list, and New York’s lineup is barely recognizable.

Next: Top 20 Most Valuable Yankees Players

If the Yankees are going to make a run, it will essentially be with their Triple-A lineup from earlier in the year. Gary Sanchez, Rob Refsnyder, Donovan Solano and Mason Williams spent the majority of the 2016 season as Railriders, but they will play important roles for New York down the stretch.