NFL
By Billy Lewis:
Stop me if you have heard this before: “The New York Yankees’ playoff run ends disappointingly as the Yankees couldn’t get out of their own way.” It’s been the same story for the Yankees in the Aaron Boone era, minus 2023, when the Yankees missed the playoffs for the only time in the Boone era.
The beginning of the baseball season brings a fresh start and new hope. Though with the Yankees, we can almost predict how it’s going to play out. They’re going to look like one of the best teams in baseball, and then June hits. The June Boone swoon takes full effect, and the Bombers start to tumble down the standings.
2026 was no different, but the Aaron Judge injury gave them a built-in excuse. The Yankees last saw first place in the American League East on June 27th. Then the Rays took that spot and wouldn’t relinquish it. Once again, that meant Yankee Stadium would not see a Division Series game until the third game of the series.
Much like 2025, the Yankees hosted the Red Sox in the Wild Card series. This season, the Bronx Bombers lived up to their nickname and made quick work of the Sox. Cam Schlittler dominated Game One, and the Yankees got to the Boston bullpen to secure a 9-0 win. The Yankees took Game Two 9-2, making for a quick sweep of their hated rivals.
New York Yankees ALDS Optimism
The Yankees offense was… well, less than impressive during the Regular Season. Their pitching staff was dominant, and seeing the offense come to life in the Wild Card Series gave hope to fans that maybe this year would be different. That hope abruptly came crashing down in the first inning of Game Two.
Game One was a classic October matchup. Drew Rasmussen and Gerrit Cole locked into a pitcher’s duel. Cole held the Rays to one run, a Jonathan Aranda home run in the third. However, Rasmussen held the Yankees hitless until an Austin Wells double with two outs in the eighth. The Wells double didn’t keep fans excited for too long; he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. The offense that showed so much life in the Wild Card was stifled as the Yankees lost 1-0.
One road loss is hardly anything to be concerned about. Schlittler was getting the ball for Game Two, and optimism was still flowing. Yandy Diaz led off for the Rays and hit a Sunday hop to Ryan McMahon. The ball skipped past McMahon and the avalanche was starting to build. Jazz Chisholm Jr. made an ill-advised throw to first that got past Luis Garcia Jr. and led to the Rays’ first run. After one inning, it was Rays 1, Yankees 0, Yankees errors 3. Unfortunately, the sloppy defense didn’t end there, and the Yankees ended the game with as many errors as hits: four.
New York Yankees Story Ends the Same
The Yankees dropped the first two games in the best-of-five series, but hey, they were coming home to the Bronx, so maybe the tide could change. Max Fried took the hill in the Bronx, looking to extend the Yankees’ season.
It was a back-and-forth battle, but Victor Mesa Jr. deposited a hanging sweeper into the right field seats to give the Rays a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning. The Yankees fought back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. In the bottom of the sixth, it looked like they tied the game once more.
Anthony Volpe stepped in with two outs and hit a deep drive into left that appeared to carry into the first row of the left field seats. George Lombard Jr. was on first, and it appeared the Bombers were right back in the game. A crew chief review determined that the play was fan interference. It did look like the correct ruling was made; Volpe was at second, and Lombard scored to make it 4-3. Spencer Jones stepped in with a chance to keep the rally going, but struck out on three pitches.
The pseudo-homer would be the last highlight of 2026. The Rays celebrated winning the American League East at Yankee Stadium, and after a 4-3 win, once again celebrated in the Bronx. For the third straight season, an opposing team sprayed champagne in the visiting clubhouse. The Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Rays turned the Bronx into their party grounds.
Aaron Boone has an 8-8 record in playoff series as the Yankees manager. 7-0 against teams that finished with a worse regular-season record than the Yankees, and 1-8 against those who were better. The only series win against a “better” team was when they beat Cleveland in the 2020 Wild Card.
Time and time again, the Yankees make mistakes in the crucial moments. After the 2024 World Series, Joe Kelly ripped the Yankees, saying, “Just let them throw the ball to the infield. They can’t make a play.”
It’s not a Boone issue; it’s an organizational issue. The Yankees are not a fundamentally strong team. Yes, they were missing the best player in baseball, but their pitching was more than good enough for a deep October run. Instead, 2026 sees another early October exit in the Bronx.
