The Yankees face their first losing season in 30 years. Things may get worse
An unsuccessful season for the New York Yankees typically means one where they don’t reach the World Series. No MLB team holds itself to higher standards, so it’s little wonder there’s a sense of despair in the Bronx as it becomes clear that the 2023 squad will miss out on the playoffs altogether. In fact, the Yankees are in danger of putting together their worst season in 30 years.
The Boston Red Sox came to Yankee Stadium last weekend with an opportunity to effectively end the postseason hopes of their archrivals. Time may be running out for the mediocre Red Sox to leapfrog the teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race, but they came alive when given the chance to avenge the “Boston Massacre” of 1978 (or perhaps its 2006 reboot).
After two straight demoralizing losses to Boston, the Yankees showed signs of life on Sunday as they tried to avoid being swept. After tying the Red
Sox several times, it looked like they had a late lead before a dubious umpiring reversal resulted in a potential winning run being ruled out at the plate. The Yankees would go on to lose 6-5, extending their losing streak to eight games.
An eight-game losing streak is bad for any team, but it’s practically unheard of for the Yankees. The last time they dropped that many games in a row was way back in 1995. Barring an always-possible Red Sox meltdown come September, the Yankees look poised to finish last in the American League East for the first time since 1990.
At this point, fans are already starting to debate whether the team should start shutting down stars and promoting prospects from the minor leagues. Considering that owner Hal Steinbrenner still wants fans to show up to games, that’s probably not going to happen.
Maybe it shouldn’t because even as mathematical elimination looms, there are still things left for the team to