Which series will make or break Yankees’ September schedule?

The New York Yankees are trekking through early Sept. after dropping an important series in Tampa Bay. With less than 30 games left in the 2022 season, the Yankees sit at the top of the American League East, still chasing a division title.

The month of August was full of turbulence for the boys in pinstripes. The Bronx Bombers dropped a remarkable 18 games, going 10-18 in their toughest month in over 30 years.

Despite a plus-186 run differential, the team is struggling hard on the offensive side, with most of that gap being residual from the first half. Back then, the team was showing out well, sporting the hottest lineup in the league. Fast forward to after the All-Star break, and the Bombers aren’t so explosive.

The unfortunate slide in August has caused a decreased gap in the American League East lead. New York was lounging once upon a time at a comfortable 15-plus games on the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.

If you look now, it may raise your blood pressure as a Yankees fan. The Rays have crawled to within 4.5 games back, with the Toronto Blue Jays just below at 6 games back. Is it time to panic?

The Yankees’ September schedule consists of pressing playoff-related matchups

Things don’t get easier in Sept. In-fact, they become more stressful. The Yankees face off against teams that are battling to crack a Wild Card spot, teams that want to win their division, teams that want to secure better seeding, and rival teams that are simply playing spoiler.

September matchups to watch include:

Minnesota Twins:

The Twins are battling Cleveland for a division title, trading off being tied for the top spot. They’ve played the Yankees hard this year, while New York has come up with a 3-1 season series lead so far. The Twins have a four-game set at Yankee Stadium to finish off the season series.

Tampa Bay Rays:

The Rays are 7-3 in their last 10 games, two of those wins being against New York. They’re also 18-5 when you expand the lens further. The Yankees are 9-7 against the Rays this season, but Tampa has closed the gap in the East, even though the Yankees need just one win this weekend to clinch the season series (and the tiebreaker). These teams still have three games against each other, occurring at Yankee Stadium this weekend.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Toronto is hanging loosely in the final Wild Card spot, needing to take advantage of all the wins they can get. The Yankees still have an important series against the Blue Jays up north, as Toronto sits 6 games back with a clear chance to gain ground between Sept. 26-28, a series the Yanks once upon a time probably thought would be too late to matter.

The Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Rangers all face off against New York for a total of 12 games. These battles should be slightly lower-pressure, with all three squads sitting out of playoff position. However, they are playing spoiler baseball, and can put the Yankees in a vulnerable scenario. You really think six games with the Sox (four at home) will be simple?! You think Boston and Alex Cora are taking their foot off the gas pedal here? Please.

The Baltimore Orioles will escort the Yankees out of the regular season in the Bronx in the final three scheduled AL East games of the year (before a trip to Texas). The Orioles are awoken and playing well, and are 3.5 games back of the Blue Jays for the last Wild Card spot. It could come down to these last three games at Yankee Stadium for Baltimore, where the Orioles will likely be in a must-win scenario if they can take care of business against the Jays this month.

The month of September can change the overall dynamic of the postseason, and can make or break the Yankees’ positioning if the team doesn’t find their bats.

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