Yankees Magic Number: New York somehow controls destiny (Updated Sept. 18)

If you read about the Yankees from a New York fan's lens, you would think the team is destined for a 2023 stinker of sorts. Outsiders will look at their 82-61 record and say, "Well, what's wrong with that?" We're happy to tell you!

The Yankees just endured the easiest part of their schedule and gained no ground in the AL East. New York is well below .500 after starting the season 49-21.

In short, they are squandering a golden opportunity to put themselves in a favorable position. They continue to not take the regular season seriously, believing their processes will "come around" and everyone involved will magically hit their stride when October arrives.

The only problem is that the Yankees haven't made considerable noise in the playoffs since 2017. Yes, they've made two ALCS trips since then, but losing a combined 8-2 to the Astros in those 10 games doesn't inspire confidence. They lost in the ALDS twice, the one-and-done Wild Card Game once, and missed the playoffs entirely over that span under Aaron Boone. They got lucky with their 2022 ALDS win, too. As you can see, it's easy for fans not to be confident as they witness the fifth straight summer collapse from this team.

With all that being said, the Yankees somehow still control their destiny in 2024. They have a game in hand over Baltimore, which gives them an advantage. Can't say that makes us feel much better, but we guess we'll take it.

Yankees Magic Number: What will it take for New York to win AL East, clinch playoff spot?

According to PlayoffStatus.com, the Yankees are the only team in the American League that controls their destiny for the division. Their magic number to clinch the AL East is 9 after Tuesday night's win in Seattle. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot (the last Wild Card) is all the way down to 1, and they reportedly plan to celebrate that accomplishment, even if an AL East clinch is also on the horizon.

It's doubtful this team will end with 100 wins, but those are the stats. They face the Orioles for a three-game set later in September that will tilt the scales significantly. But they just went 3-6 against sub-.500 teams before taking down the Cubs and will now enter a stretch against playoff hopefuls: vs Royals, vs Red Sox, at Mariners. After that, they're on the road against the hot A's before finishing up against the O's and Pirates.

Nineteen games left. All against worse opponents, in theory. But you know how the Yankees perform against that kind of competition. It's nice they control their own destiny, we just wouldn't count on that being the reality for much longer.