The New York Yankees learned who their American League Division Series opponent would be last night. The Kansas City Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 to complete the sweep in the wildcard round and punch their ticket to The Bronx to play the Yankees in the ALDS. The Royals held the Orioles to a single run, a home run by Center Fielder Cedric Mullins, in the fifth inning for the entire series. The Royals pitching was outstanding and is poised to present a serious problem for the bats of the New York Yankees.
New York Yankees May Have Gotten Preferred Opponent
On paper, it would appear that the New York Yankees got the opponent they wanted. Of the teams in the AL East, the Orioles were the only team the Yankees had a losing record to in the regular season. The Yanks were 5-8 against the O’s, whereas they beat the Royals five out of seven times. The run differential was extremely close in the battles with the Orioles, finishing the season 56 to 62. In contrast, the “Bronx Bombers” did their thing against Kansas City, putting up a 42-24 dramatic run differential. Based on regular season numbers, it would appear the New York Yankees got lucky.
MLB Playoffs Are a Different Animal
Baseball is unique among all the major American sports. It has the longest regular season by far. Basketball and hockey play half as many regular season contests. The NFL schedule, perhaps too long for the brutality of the sport, is merely a fraction of basketball or hockey, much less baseball. And yet a sport like baseball, which rewards consistency over an arduous regular season, can be brutally cruel in the potential brevity of the postseason.
The New York Yankees will play a best-of-five series with the Kansas City Royals, beginning Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The fact that the Yankees completed the regular season with a 94-68 record, the best in the AL, and the Royals were eight games worse with an 86-76 record does not matter in October. The fact that Las Vegas has priced the Yankees at -220 and the Royals at +190 to win the series does not matter. What matters is the outcome of three, four, or five games, in a week or less.
The Yankees Postseason Journey Begins
It’s been fifteen years since the New York Yankees won the World Series. There are freshmen in high school in the greater New York area who have never seen a Yankees World Series appearance, much less a victory. Older fans who remember the glorious run of championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 have grown restless and cynical.
Even the heartbreaking loss in 2001 when Mariano Rivera blew the save to the Arizona Diamondbacks seems like another lifetime. It seems like it’s time to put an end to the championship drought of New York Yankees baseball. The Kansas City Royals, however, may have different ideas. It all begins for the Yankees on October 5.
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