Yankees: 3 red-hot rival players who could keep NYY out of playoffs

2. Travis Shaw/Bobby Dalbec

The Red Sox forgot to get a first baseman at the trade deadline? No problem! Their rookie Bobby Dalbec caught fire, and the Milwaukee Brewers gifted them the definition of a “change of scenery” guy in Travis Shaw.

Classic. Another classic sequence of events.

Shaw, who deked the Brew Crew into releasing him by being “ravaged” by injuries, was claimed by the Sox in mid-August (should be illegal) and has posted a 1.000 OPS with three homers and 10 RBI in part-time duty ever since. If you saw the news of the addition cross the wire and didn’t immediately think, “Aw, dammit,” you’re not human. Shaw always looked comfortable in New England, and a return to form on a part-time basis felt almost assured.

The Mayor of Ding Dong City’s addition has coincided with Dalbec getting into a rhythm; the kid earned August Rookie of the Month, and has paired solid defense with a potent power bat. Is he having a phenomenal season? Extremely no; he’s been worth 0.1 WAR on the year, even after his most recent hot streak.

His rockets are coming at the least opportune time possible for us, though, with a .290 average and 11 second-half bombs. Over the past two months, Dalbec has reached respectability, and he’s scorching as we speak. The Yankees have only three games left with Boston, but they’re going to be a dogfight.