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The New York Yankees are entering the last week of the regular season, and while they are unlikely to capture the AL East crown, there is still plenty at stake as they gear up for what appears to be a Wild Card Round berth.
Even though many of these final games may seem inconsequential, the team and its players have several objectives to pursue before the postseason begins.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Needs to Find His Groove
With Aaron Judge expected to miss at least the start of the playoffs, Jazz Chisholm Jr. could be the biggest difference-maker for the Yankees. Chisholm returned to the lineup on Tuesday night against the Rays after a stint on the injured list with a sprained thumb.
Given that the series against Tampa Bay has little playoff implication, one might argue that giving him extra rest would be wise. However, with the postseason looming, Chisholm needs as many at-bats as possible to regain his timing after the layoff.
The injury couldn't have come at a worse moment, as Chisholm was finally performing like the player everyone anticipated at the start of the season. In his last 18 games before the injury, he posted a slash line of .364/.446/.545. Since the trade deadline, over 29 games, he has hit .295/.338/.442.
If Chisholm can return and produce, the lineup becomes significantly deeper, especially if his improved performance against left-handed pitchers continues. After struggling against lefties through July, he showed progress in August.
Ben Rice Chasing Round Numbers
Counting stats may not hold much weight beyond good vibes, but in a season where every starting position player has missed time due to injury, rewarding the one player who has stayed healthy with some nice, round numbers would be a welcome sight.
Ben Rice has earned some rest for his contributions this season, but he should still see action for much of this final week, particularly a few games at first base after spending most of the last few months as the designated hitter.
The primary goal is for him to hit one more home run and drive in five more runs. He already has 100 runs scored, so achieving two more round numbers would add historical context to his All-Star and All-MLB-caliber campaign.
He would become just the 11th Yankee to record 40 home runs, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs in a season, joining legends like Babe Ruth, Aaron Judge, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and Alex Rodriguez. He would also be only the third first baseman to accomplish this feat, following Gehrig and Jason Giambi, and the second Yankees draft pick, after Judge.
Rotation Tune-Ups for the Postseason
The three pitchers who will likely start the Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox will get their final regular-season outings against a potential playoff opponent, the Rays, in the Bronx.
While the results of this series may not carry much weight, it's still important for these pitchers to finish strong. Max Fried is nearly fully stretched out and pitched in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader. He is coming off seven solid innings in Minnesota and faced a Tampa Bay team that the Yankees might see again in the playoffs. Fried has typically performed well against Boston in his career but has struggled in the postseason.
Cam Schlittler has essentially secured the AL Cy Young Award with one start left, as his only competition, Dylan Cease, is likely being shut down by the Blue Jays due to shoulder soreness. Schlittler's final start will be a coronation of sorts and should set him up for postseason success. Could pulling him an inning earlier than usual keep him fresh for Game 1 next Tuesday?
No pitcher needs a couple of strong outings before the playoffs more than Gerrit Cole, who hit a wall earlier this month and has suddenly struggled with home runs. The 2023 Cy Young winner has taken longer than expected to experience the typical post-Tommy John surgery wall, but the Yankees need him to rebound quickly. He has been terrible against the Red Sox as a Yankee, and if he starts a potential Game 3, he must exorcise those demons beforehand.
Managing High-Leverage Bullpen Arms
A major criticism of the Yankees' trade deadline approach was that they neglected their bullpen, which has struggled to maintain effectiveness as the long season has worn them down. Recent struggles from Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick illustrate this, with both faltering on September 11 against the Mets and Headrick allowing a grand slam on Sunday against Arizona.
Those two, along with David Bednar, are crucial for the Yankees' hopes of a deep playoff run. The rotation is capable of bridging an entire game with just four pitchers, but they need to be fresh to do so. Headrick appears the most worn out of the three and should take it easy this week—perhaps two appearances, one inning maximum. Relievers need to stay on a schedule to avoid rust, so Blackburn and Bednar can follow similar workloads.
With wins and losses mattering less, there's less need to deploy the best arms daily. As for the rest of the bullpen, it's audition time. They should aim to get Clarke Schmidt three appearances (if his bicep soreness isn't an issue) and give Michael Fulmer, Luis Gil, and Tim Hill a chance to prove they deserve consideration.
Playing with Pride Against the Rays
It's the biggest disappointment of the season that a massive four-game series against the AL East-leading Rays will be meaningless after months of it being a target date to seize the division. But that's what happens when one team plays exceptional baseball for months while the other plays merely good baseball.
These games being effectively meaningless is frustrating, but the Yankees should still treat them like the big games they were supposed to be. Aaron Boone can manage with one eye on the postseason, but the players need to play with the conviction of a team that doesn't want the Rays celebrating on their home turf, even if it's inevitable given how the weekend unfolded.
It would also help New York's postseason prospects to enter the playoffs knowing they can beat the team in front of them. The issue the Yankees had with the Blue Jays in 2025 was that Toronto had routinely dominated them all season and carried that confidence into October. Even winning three out of four would be enough to show a team that has faced little adversity all season that the Yankees are the team to worry about, even with home-field advantage in Tampa.