Yankees shouldn’t concede the AL East to Boston, yet

The argument that the Yankees should concede the AL East to the division-leading Boston Red Sox is gaining some steam. “Boston’s unbeatable,” analysts say. “The Red Sox have already built an insurmountable lead.”

In the eyes of the Yankees, that doesn’t mean the team should punt on its hopes to win the division, especially because the team is finally emerging from its early August funk.

Coley Harvey of ESPN outlines the pros and cons of chasing Boston and focusing on the Wild Card race. Harvey states that, behind one of the best offenses in baseball, the Red Sox are one of the top teams in the game right now. They just got Chris Sale back, which makes the Yankees’ shaky rotation look even more suspect.

Plus, the Red Sox have played this well while enduring various ailments and other difficulties. Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to deal with their own injuries.

Harvey and other analysts feel that the Yanks may be better off accepting their fate as a Wild Card team. That way, manager Aaron Boone can give star players even more rest down the stretch.

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However, time after time, coasting to the finish line has proven detrimental to teams throughout various sports.

A winning ball club should aim to win every time it takes the field. Sure, the manager rests players, sometimes in bunches, which means the team isn’t necessarily fielding its best lineup. Resting players is a vital part of sports, and the manager’s ability to do so successfully is often indicative of their success. Giving players rest isn’t the problem here.

If the Yankees make it clear that they are conceding the division that sends a message. To some fans, it might mean that the team doesn’t wholeheartedly believe in itself. To the players, it says that they’re not trying to win every single day.

Taking the foot off the gas pedal and coasting down the stretch could be detrimental to the players in other ways, too. Baseball is, in a lot of ways, a game where a player’s mind is just as critical as their body. If the player doesn’t feel like the team’s goal is to win every game, you risk having players slack off or competitively ease up.

By the time the playoffs roll around, it could be difficult to flip the switch, from coasting to winning — and the Yankees shouldn’t take that risk.