2 winners, 2 losers of Yankees' playoff push that came up short of AL East title

The New York Yankees are playoff-bound, though maybe not the way they'd like to be. Despite celebrating clinching the postseason, the Yankees will be heading to the big dance as a Wild Card team, and not the division champion.

Psychologically, being a wild card hits different. There's a sense of accomplishment that winning the division brings, though that's obviously far from the ultimate goal. As New York prepares to face the Boston Red Sox in an AL Wild Card Series rematch, there are clearly some folks who are true winners and others who are clear losers due to how things have played out.

Two Yankees winners from the playoff push

Cam Schlittler

Cam Schlittler was a clear winner from the 2026 season, regardless of playoff seeding or how things ultimately play out. The young flamethrower transformed from an intriguing arm with potential to a certified ace this year, and his season has been historic in many ways. For one, he'sthe only pitcher in history, other than Pedro Martinez in 1997, to throw at least 190 innings, post at least 11 K/9, and record an ERA+ over 200 at 25 years old or younger.

Schlittler should win the AL Cy Young, and fans shouldn't sleep on his MVP case, either. While these are regular-season awards, the last thing that hits the minds of voters is postseason performance. By virtue of the Yankees losing out on the AL East crown, Schlittler gets to face his nemesis in Boston, a team he loves to dominate. Another otherworldly performance against the Red Sox can't hurt in the awards voting and could set him on a roll for the rest of the playoffs.

Anthony Volpe

Anthony Volpe's season seemed to be done for all intents and purposes after he lost his starting job to George Lombard Jr. and was sent to Scranton for the second time on August 4. Then he went on a rampage. Over his final 28 Triple-A contests, the 25-year-old slashed .284/.381/.642 with a whopping 10 homers.

A confluence of factors gave him another big league shot, and the buzz from the minor league tear helped improve his standing. Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario's ineptitude have now positioned the much-maligned former top prospect as a potential playoff savior at the hot corner.

There's the dirty little secret, though. Since resurfacing with a three-hit bang against the Colorado Rockies on September 10, Volpe has done pretty much what he's done all year long, hitting .265/.308/.388, compared to his season line of .245/.321/.336. It just so happened that the good feelings started at a time when McMahon was particularly horrid, and Rosario's atrocious defense and failure to hit lefties hit a fever pitch. Had New York won the division, they'd get a bye, and with time for more scrutiny, Volpe's play wouldn't look so resurgent.

These two Yankees are big losers due to how things played out

Aaron Judge

Let's face it, if the Yankees had a comfortable division lead, Aaron Judge would have taken more time with his rehab and avoided the calf strain that now puts his postseason availability in peril. At the very least, New York isn't expecting him back for the Wild Card series, which has created a bit of tension between the superstar and the organization.

More importantly, because of the rush, we're now dealing with uncertain danger. The exact calf muscle that Judge strained is called the soleus muscle, which is closely linked to the Achilles tendon. One of the big risks with the injury is that a re-aggravation can make one more prone to tearing the Achilles, which would be an absolutely devastating injury for both the remainder of the postseason and 2027.

Aaron Boone

In some ways, it seems as if the heat Aaron Boone usually faces from the media and fan base has been lacking this year. One can't help but imagine that he's been extended a bit more grace due to the significant amount of time that Judge missed, as well as other key injuries to players like Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, and Trent Grisham.

However, a lot of the same issues that have plagued Boone throughout his Yankees tenure were present in 2026. There was the customary mid-summer swoon, some questionable bullpen handling that ran key arms into the ground, and some wacky lineup choices. Basically, it was par for the course for Boone.

But had the Yankees won the division, we wouldn't just see Boone's seat cooling; we might actually see him getting some genuine praise. After all, navigating most of the year without a three-time MVP (plus long injury stints from two other former MVPs) isn't easy, and New York is set to finish 2026 almost identical to how it finished 2025 with a mostly healthy Judge. It seems like Boone missed a prime opportunity to rehab his reputation.

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