Yankees Feel As If They're Heading Toward a Familiar Postseason Fate

Historically, the New York Yankees have had little success as a Wild Card team.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried will be trusted to help buck the trend of not much success as a Wild Card team. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another year, another season where the New York Yankees watch a rival pop champagne on their home turf. It's really become a yearly tradition since 2018. Granted, it's hard to fault Aaron Boone this year since it wasn't his roster to build. Brian Cashman wanted to run it back, and Boone didn't ask for the injuries his team has sustained, but it is a recurring theme in his tenure.

The Boston Red Sox did it twice in 2018. Once to clinch the AL East, and again when they eliminated the Yankees in the American League Division Series.

The New York Yankees hope not to see another team celebrating on their turf in the postseason, as the Boston Red Sox did in 2018. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Houston Astros did it after clinching a World Series berth in 2022. That one was a clean sweep. In 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their World Series win at Yankee Stadium, and in 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays popped bottles after eliminating the Yankees in the ALDS.

The season still isn't over, and the Yankees can easily make a run, but the last time this team advanced to the ALCS as a Wild Card team was in 2017. Joe Girardi and a young squad of Baby Bombers forced a Game 7 against an Astros team that was caught doing some extracurricular activity a few years later.

Wild card history against the Yankees

It would be hard for any fan to feel optimistic heading into the postseason when Aaron Judge's status is in doubt. On top of that, they just watched the Rays clinch the East and celebrate on their turf after a listless offense and a defensive lapse led to a big inning. It was the kind of loss that harkened back to their nine-game losing streak, when it felt impossible to scratch together a few runs and come away with a win.

Plus, it doesn't help that history is not on the Yankees' side. Since the inception of the Wild Card and its many formats over the years, the Yankees have never even reached the World Series when they won it.

When they clinched the very first Wild Card in 1995, it must have cast some spell on the entire organization that they would never win a World Series unless they won the division. Right after the first one, the Seattle Mariners sent Don Mattingly home in excruciating fashion, and every Wild Card berth thereafter would end the same way for the next three decades.

Greatest moment in Seattle Mariners history:

Edgar Martinez doubles in the bottom of the 11th scoring Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr. to walk-off the 1995 Division Series over the Yankees. 57,411 Kingdome fans go bonkers! Randy Johnson pitched final 3 innings for the win.#MLB pic.twitter.com/wdiKSOl2f5

— @BatBallMitt (@BatBallMitt) March 14, 2020

Of course, while it is easy to be down on these Yankees — especially with their captain out — the one thing this Wild Card team had that others didn't was the starting rotation. This staff is also very different from last year's. No matter how long the series against Boston goes, if they do win, they'll still have a frontline starter ready for game one of the ALDS. Last year, Luis Gil started.

Pitching aside, this year's question will be the same as in past seasons. Will they be able to get that big hit in big games? It's a tall task without Judge. Then again, they couldn't do it with him there all these years either.

Get Yankees On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.