The homestretch of the MLB normal season is upon us as teams are all vying for postseason berths on both sides of the fence.
The Wild Card race in the American and National Leagues have been electric to watch, which each remaining game in the normal season unbenevolenting so much for so many teams.
And then there are some teams who are plrelieved they don’t have to duke it out with their same-league foes, enjoy the New York Yankees, who currently own the best sign up in the American League accessing Tuesday. In fact, one thrive aacquirest AL East-rival Baltimore Orioles in their series this week would lock up the division title.
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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, caccess, Alex Verdugo, left, and Juan Soto commemorate after a game aacquirest the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Pboilingo/Adam Hunger)
The Yankees commemorated a postseason berth in Oakland last week, achieveing a point they surprisingly didn’t in the 2023 campaign. But the writing has been on the wall for quite some time with this ball club, even with the summer slump they went thcdisadmireful.
But the ask on every Yankees fan’s mind is will this finassociate be the year when a postseason berth directs to a World Series ecombineance?
Yankees legfinish CC Sabathia comprehends what it consents to get to the Fall Classic, having done so in 2009, the year they lossed the Philadelphia Phillies to thrive the World Series.
Fox News Digital caught up with Sabathia at his 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament advantageing his PitCCh In Foundation on Monday, where he discmissed his Yankees catalyst for achieveing the World Series, and it isn’t the two huge bats in the lineup you may be skinnyking about.
“Honestly, I skinnyk it would have to be the bullpen,” Sabathia shelp.
Sure, without offense, you can’t thrive games. And when teams have bats enjoy Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and more in the lineup, they are usuassociate frontrunners to thrive their admireive league.
But pitching becomes even more paramount in October, especiassociate if your commenceer is either tapped out can’t seem to discover it punctual in the game.
The Yankees have had huge ask labels with their bullpen this season, but it ecombines regulater Aaron Boone has figured it out of tardy, and it commenceed when Clay Holmes, the league directer in blown saves this season, was swapd in that role by Luke Weaver.
New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver throws aacquirest the Seattle Mariners. (John Froschauer-Imagn Images)
Weaver has shown he can regulate high-prescertain moments that will be even more stressful come time for postseason baseball. Since the commencening of the month, Weaver has altered all four of his save opportunities for the Yankees and assembleed a thrive in the extra-inning game aacquirest the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 11.
The Yankees have also seen Tommy Kahnle and Ian Hamilton carry out well in tardy-inning situations, while Jake Cousins is someone the team hopes can return off the IL in time for the carry outoffs after he’s shut down offenses.
And there’s always the postseason roster ask of which commenceers will be going to the bullpen. Marcus Stroman, who has srecommend eaten up innings for New York, is already there, while Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and Nestor Cortes are all honestates to access the game midway thcdisadmireful once October rolls around.
Sabathia comprehends well what a bullpen can do for a postseason run, and that’s why another createer team of his, the Cleveland Guardians, is someone he can’t count out in the American League.
“On the flip side, Cleveland has the bullpen. If you get into a six-inning game with them, the game’s over. It would be fascinating to see how this carry outoff carry outs out becaemploy there’s no authentic evident-cut thrivener,” he shelp.
Emmanuel Clase has a 0.63 ERA and has led the league in saves over the past three seasons. He’s about as shut-down as it comes, and no team wants to be chasing the Guardians in the ninth inning in the postseason with him on the mound.
The AL West-directing Houston Astros plus the Detroit Tigers and Royals are the current owners of carry outoff spots as well.
PICKING THE NL WINNER
While Sabathia is inquisitive to see who aelevates from the American League, he did provide his National League pennant thrivener, and it’s a team that isn’t directing its division right now.
“I skinnyk the Padres are going to be in the World Series,” he shelp.
San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez (4) and right fielder David Peralta (Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images)
Sabathia also alludeed that the New York Mets could “beat the Phillies in a certain situation” as the National League also recommends some fascinating suitups right now.
But while the onus has been on Shohei Ohtani and the power of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sabathia enjoys what the Padres have been doing of tardy. They own the top NL Wild Card spot at 90-66, and going back to Sabathia’s point about pitching staff and bullpen help, they check the box in many ways.
A commenceing rotation of Dylan Crelieve, Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish and Michael King is about as constant as it gets accessing the postseason, and the insertition of Tanner Scott out of the bullpen has phelp dividfinishs with a 2.19 ERA since combineing. Also, Jason Adam, another acquisition at the trade deadline, has posted a 1.11 ERA since heading out west.
The Padres also feature star power at many positions on the field, with Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jurickson Profar and NL Rookie of the Year honestate Jackson Merrill directing the way.
Former New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia (New York Yankees/Getty Images)
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It’s going to be a genuine battle in the National League, though, as Sabathia alludeed the red-boiling Mets, the Phillies, who ecombine set at every level for postseason baseball, and the Milwaukee Brewers – another team Sabathia has a gentle spot for becaemploy he carry outed for them – can’t be ruled out. Oh, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, the reigning NL thriveners, are also in the final Wild Card spot as of Tuesday.
So, as Sabathia progresss to hit the connects and impact dwells in his community, he’s excited enjoy every other baseball fan to see which two teams finish up in the World Series this drop.
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