What the series victory over the Royals means for the Yankees moving forward

After a thrilling 4-3 victory in 11 innings against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday night, the Yankees inched closer to a postseason berth, with their magic number now at seven. The night was filled with drama and anticipation, highlighted by a standout moment from still-somehow-young phenom Juan Soto. 

After a tense moment where he fouled a pitch off his foot and went down for nearly two minutes, Soto rose to deliver a clutch, two-run home run into the right-field bleachers, giving fans a glimpse of the kind of impact he could have in the postseason.

The Yankees' key hitters have struggled lately (excluding last night), with only rookie catcher Austin Wells showing consistency in the cleanup spot. While it's better to slump now than when games count, the stakes are about to rise. Starting Sept. 12th, the Yankees face tough competition to close the regular season, with series against Boston, Seattle, and Baltimore.

If this series showed us anything, the Yankees will be fine—they've risen to the challenge against strong competition all season. Captain Aaron Judge hasn’t been his usual self over the past 13 games, yet the team keeps finding ways to win. Judge, who reached base three times in Wednesday night’s victory, hasn’t had a slump like this all season, so he’s likely to bounce back soon. The team thrives when their star duo, Judge and Juan Soto, play like the two best hitters in the world, so expect a spark from them — and the rest of the lineup — soon.

Yankees rise to challenge vs. Royals, shrink Magic Number

Third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. continues to showcase his athleticism at third base, maintaining a perfect defensive record with no errors. He'll need to be the team's "unsung hero" in the playoffs, as he contributes in all aspects of the game. Wednesday night, his walk-off single sent the stadium into a frenzy, proving he can make a big impact both at the plate and on the field moving forward.

Starting pitcher Luis Gil delivered five strong innings in the finale, with his only mistake being a home run by Royals second baseman Michael Massey. Early in the season, the Yankees' rotation exceeded expectations, arguably the best starting five in the league. While they've shown flashes of that form, the team will need veterans like Carlos Rodón and Marcus Stroman to step up in October if they want to make a deep postseason run.

The Yankees bullpen was solid in the finale win over the Royals, limiting Kansas City to just two runs over six innings. Reliever Luke Weaver (5-3) earned the victory, delivering 1.2 scoreless innings and recording three crucial strikeouts in extra innings. People are wondering if this bullpen can continue to produce into the playoffs, but they certainly delivered in a postseason atmosphere on Wednesday.

Boone even used Clay Holmes in a high-leverage situation Wednesday night (even though he gave up a run). I believe a trio of Holmes, Weaver, and one of Tommy Kahnle or Jake Cousins would be the best bullpen option for the playoffs as Boone decides on a closer.

The Yankees will host their AL East rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in a crucial four-game series at the Bronx to end the week. Lefty Nestor Cortes will start the opener as the Yankees aim to extend their 1.5-game lead over the Orioles in the division.