After a tumultuous season filled with injuries and offensive struggles, the New York Yankees six-year streak of postseason appearances officially came to an end on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
The Bombers fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks by a final score of 7-1, marking their exit from contention for the American League’s final wild-card spot.
Manager Aaron Boone expressed his disappointment at the inexplicable season, saying: “It sucks. That’s what you work hard toward all year round β the wintertime, spring training, on through the season β for an opportunity to play in October and compete for a championship. So the reality of that not being in play sucks.”
The Yankees have been eliminated from playoff contention pic.twitter.com/1gYG3PSn7Z
— Talkinβ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 24, 2023
Captain and outfielder Aaron Judge, who has been battling injuries, spoke of his commitment to helping the organization rebound, stating: “It’s not going to happen overnight. So we got to hit the ground running, especially when the season ends. We’ve got a lot to work on, a lot of things to change, and a lot of stuff going on around here that needs to be fixed.”
When asked about specific changes needed, Judge declined to elaborate, mentioning they would stay “in-house.” He stressed his intention to collaborate with key decision-makers across the organization to bring about necessary changes.
With the Yankees out of the AL wild-card race, the final spot remains highly contested among the Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and Seattle Mariners.
How wild is that Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson will be playing in the playoffs, while the Yankees will be watching from home. pic.twitter.com/z0hUP8g1aO
— ππ£π½ (@kazknowsball) September 23, 2023
In the National League, the Diamondbacks maintain a one-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the league’s final wild card. The Yankees’ loss dropped their record to 78-77, putting them on the brink of becoming the first Yankees team since 1992 to finish a season with a losing record.
Starting pitcher Carlos Rodon expressed his optimism for the team’s future, saying: “I feel like this club right here can win. It’s kind of one of those things where we have to turn the page and move on.”
“Obviously, we have like six or seven games left, and so we have to finish strong with those and show what we can do on the field and move on from there, and look forward to next year.”
Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu, who has been with the Yankees for the past five seasons, acknowledged the frustrating nature of the season. He praised the potential of the team’s young call-ups but emphasized, “[But] overall, there’s definitely a lot to look forward to. But we know this year’s not good enough.”
Wait a minute
2007: Yankees player wins MVP
2008: Yankees miss playoffs
2009: Yankees win World Series2022: Yankees player wins MVP
2023: Yankees miss playoffs
2024:NEXT YEAR IS THE YEAR LETS GOOOOO
— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) September 24, 2023
Prior to this season, the Yankees last missed the playoffs in 2016, featuring aging All-Stars like Alex Rodriguez, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran. However, the organization rebounded with postseason appearances annually from 2017 to 2022, including three trips to the American League Championship Series, fueled by a roster of emerging stars like Judge.
The Yankees have seven games remaining in the season, including a makeup game against the Diamondbacks scheduled for Monday due to a rainout on Saturday.
Despite playing through injuries for the past two months, Judge remains committed to being in the lineup, stating: “I’m a leader on this team, and especially with the young guys we’ve got coming up β you’ve got to show them that you’ve got to be out there every single day for your teammates. So I’m going to be out there.”
my real reaction to hearing the yankees are missing the playoffs πΉπΉπΉ pic.twitter.com/A1qw5Sovg2
— din (@klooowry) September 24, 2023
Clearly, this season has been a total failure for the Yankees.
What do they need to do in the offseason to fix this mess?