Miraculous Astros Wild Card choke removes all Yankees' excuses for 2024 MLB playoffs

The New York Yankees, a team that has never won a playoff series against the Houston Astros in franchise history, will luckily not have to worry about that this October.

Unfortunately, they've never won a playoff series against the Detroit Tigers in franchise history, either. But that's tomorrow's problem!

On Wednesday afternoon, after narrowly missing a three-run comeback after chasing Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal, the Astros rallied (as they do annually) in the seventh inning of Game 2. Tigers manager AJ Hinch attempted "pitching chaos," using a collection of flamethrowers, sidewinders, and mustache aficionados to bedevil Houston. It worked ... until they inserted leaguewide top-10 prospect Jackson Jobe, and the entire house of cards collapsed. Pitches nicked jerseys. Throws bounced. Sac flies didn't fly very far, but they flew far enough.

But then, something very bizarre happened: Detroit came back. Nobody makes the Astros bleed their own blood, but the Tigers certainly did. After a wild pitch equalizer, pinch-hitter Andy Ibañez cleared the bases with a three-run double off expensive mistake Josh Hader, and just like that, the American League playoff bracket opened for the Yankees like it hasn't since before 2017.

Literally. The Astros have made every ALCS since that season. They've been in the way every single season. They've defeated the Yankees every chance they've gotten. This year? It's the scuffling Orioles or the AL Central. If Aaron Boone's Yankees can't out-talent this group and reach the World Series, at the very least, it may never happen.

Yankees avoiding Astros in AL Playoff Bracket means they're out of excuses

This is a playoff field full of incalculable flaws. There is no perfect team. The Dodgers are pitching-deficient, and disappeared offensively last fall. So did the Phillies, who've been a little 2003-to-2007 Yankees boom-or-busty these past few Red Octobers. The Yankees are an imperfect team that was dinged up additionally just before the playoffs began, and will now have to operate without Nestor Cortes in the bullpen and Anthony Rizzo in the lineup.

But all of these jokers have problems. Hell, nobody wants to face the 0.2%-playoff-chances-in-August Tigers. The Yankees could fall victim to the same plague that ended the Astros' dynasty. They could bumble against Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo. They could be carved up by the Guardians' bullpen.

And, if any of those things happen, they'll be roasted endlessly, and they'll deserve it. Because they've never had a better paved playoff path in the Aaron Judge Era, and they'd better make all of this joyous Astros laughter worth it.