The playoffs are almost here and I am already seeing the writing on the wall. The New York Yankees are about to walk into a trap at Yankee Stadium. This isn’t just my hype. Even the pros are seeing the same cracks in the Bronx Bombers’ armor.
The Yankees Are Missing Their Core
The biggest problem for New York is the empty spot in their lineup. The Yankees will not have Aaron Judge available for this series. His injury problems have lasted most of this year. That changes everything for their offense. Without their best hitter, they can’t drive runs in consistently.
Former NL MVP Joey Votto sees exactly why this favors Boston. He thinks the matchup is bad for New York right now. Votto said, “I think the Red Sox, now especially with Judge being out, that Red Sox -Yankees matchup is a bad matchup for the Yankees,”. He also noted that the Yankees lack enough power and their star player is gone.
Boston Has the Arms to Win
I love seeing a veteran like Votto back this team. He isn’t just looking at the bats. He is looking at the mound. Votto believes that pitching is the most important thing in October. He said, “I think that in the playoffs, pitching trumps everything and Red Sox have plenty of that… I really like the Red Sox, especially when they get through the Yankees,”.
He is right. You can’t win a short series if you can’t stop the bleeding. The Red Sox have the depth to shut down a weakened New York lineup. We have seen this kind of grit before in Boston. Think back to the 2004 ALCS. The Associated Press reported that the Red Sox faced a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees then. They pulled off the comeback. We don’t need a bloody sock this time, just good pitching and the Yankees’ own mistakes.
A Brutal Short Series
This is a best-of-three Wild Card Series. There is no room for error. The winner moves on to face Tampa Bay in the AL Division Series. The Associated Press reported that New York will host the first two games at Yankee Stadium starting Tuesday. If we can steal one in the Bronx, the momentum stays with us.
