Insane Yankees schedule after 2026 All-Star break won't help them fully shake off swoon

If Joel Sherman's accusation is true, the New York Yankees are floundering extra hard right now because they're all in desperate search of the off switch that the All-Star break brings. Instead of racing through the tape, they've decided to pull up at the halfway point of the marathon, skid into a side wall of cheering fans, and hope nobody notices.

Well, tough shakes in this particular instance, because the road gets even harder when the season resumes on July 17.

Four games at Fenway against the 14-games-under-.500 Red Sox, followed by three at home against the 14-games-under-.500 Tigers (neither of whom are there anymore) and three more against the Twins was supposed to be the Yankees' soft landing. Instead, they went 1-9 in those games, forced to confront The Trop and the Nationals' offense before Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler can fly to Philadelphia.

In a watered-down American League, the Yankees are still favored to make the postseason, especially given that everyone on earth knows a makeover is coming at the trade deadline (and internal reinforcements will hopefully climb off the injured list and follow). But, um ... the door is open to the alternative occurring, especially given the rest of the Yankees' early summer slate.

2026 Yankees schedule in July and August ... good luck!

The Yankees start the second half at home — great! The Yankees start the second half at home with a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers — oh!

The past few seasons, there've been two Yankees canaries-in-the-coal-mine: June series at Fenway Park and summer series against the Dodgers. Both have laid bare a seemingly endless series of Yankees issues and triggered their public undressing. If the Yankees are going to put up a fight against LA, that'd represent a significantly bucked trend.

Then the Pirates come to town, a series that will surely include Paul Skenes. The Yankees then travel to Philadelphia (among the game's best since firing Rob Thomson), Chicago (White Sox) and Chicago (Cubs). You'd better hope a homestand of Cardinals-sputtering Braves-Mariners post-deadline helps more than it hurts. There are windows to competitiveness, but there is nothing easy. Which is crazy! Because the AL sucks!

The lone silver lining? No Red Sox series after August, no stretch-run trips to hostile territory (Angels, Padres, Twins and D-Backs road trips in September), and a four-game Rays set at home in the campaign's final week for one last push.

But the Yankees haven't exactly handled business lately, so absolutely anybody appearing on the schedule could, in fact, scare you. Bottom line? The ball's in their court. Rise to the occasion or fall back. Otherwise, this potentially soft landing could be irrelevant.

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