Yankees Clinch 3rd Straight Playoff Berth as Blue Jays Loss Ends Toronto's Chase

Q: With Max Fried suddenly injured, can the Yankees' battered rotation hold up enough to end their 17-year championship drought?

Yes — but only if Max Fried’s absence is brief and the Yankees keep getting frontline work from Cam Schlittler while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón hold up. The case for New York is straightforward: even with injuries, its rotation has been the club’s identity. The Yankees entered this stretch with the best starter ERA in the majors and a team ERA around 3.24, and Schlittler has pitched like a Cy Young favorite. That gives them a legitimate October anchor even without Fried. Aaron Judge’s return also matters because it eases the pressure on the staff to win every low-scoring game. The risk is that the margin for error has narrowed. Fried was not just another arm; he had a 2.81 ERA and had allowed only five runs in 24 2/3 innings since returning from his previous IL stint. Losing him again, even to what the club believes is a shorter-term elbow bone bruise, threatens both the chase for a division title and the ideal playoff rotation. It also forces the Yankees to lean more heavily on Rodón, who has just returned from elbow inflammation, and on Cole, whose post-surgery form has been less stable. There is still enough depth to survive. Rodón can absorb Fried’s turn, Will Warren remains available, Ryan Weathers has improved, and Clarke Schmidt could help in relief. But to end a 17-year title drought, survival is not enough. New York likely needs Fried back for October, Schlittler to remain dominant, and at least one of Cole or Rodón to look like a true No. 2 starter.

3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Sep 15

New York secured an AL postseason spot Monday after Toronto lost to Detroit, with the Yankees also beating Minnesota to lock up their third straight playoff appearance.
87 wins have kept the Yankees comfortably in the wild-card field despite Aaron Judge missing more than three months with a rib stress fracture before returning Sept. 8.
A 3.24 team ERA—best in MLB—carried New York through Judge's absence, with Cam Schlittler leading a rotation that also features Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.
Ben Rice's 38 home runs, plus additions from Luis Garcia Jr. and rookie George Lombard Jr., have helped stabilize an offense that still needs more consistency for October.
The berth keeps alive New York's bid for its first World Series title since 2009 after a 2024 Series loss to the Dodgers and a 2025 ALDS exit to Toronto.