For the 33rd consecutive year, the New York Yankees will finish the MLB season with a winning record. But, the team is still searching for its first World Series title since 2009. The Bronx Bombers made the 2024 Fall Classic, but fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the 2025 season, the Yankees have had both ups and downs, but they find themselves in playoff position, sitting in the American League’s first wild card spot. In the final games of the season, New York still has a lot to play for, including holding onto this spot and catching the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East.
With only a small amount of the season remaining, here’s how the Yankees playoff and division aspirations shake up.
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Yankees updated playoff picture, standings
Going into the stretch, the Yankees have close races in both the AL East and the AL wild card race. Starting with the division, New York has to make up ground on the Blue Jays, while also having the Red Sox on their tail.
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Standings updated after Sept. 20 games
AL East standings
1. Blue Jays, 89-66
2. Yankees, 87-68, 2.0 GB
3. Red Sox, 85-70, 4.0 GB
4. Rays, 75-80, ELIMINATED
5. Orioles, 73-82, ELIMINATED
If the Yankees are unable to catch up to Toronto, they are still in a good position when it comes to the AL wild card race. The Bronx Bombers currently hold the first wild card spot, meaning they would host a three-game series at Yankee Stadium in the wild card round.
AL wild card standings
- Yankees, 87-68, +3.0
- Red Sox, 85-70, +1.0
- Guardians, 84-71
- —
- Astros, 84-71, 0.0 GB
- Rangers, 79-76, 5.0 GB
- Royals, 78-77, 6.0 GB
- Rays, 75-79, ELIMINATED
- Athletics, 73-82, ELIMINATED
- Orioles, 73-82, ELIMINATED
- Angels, 70-85, ELIMINATED
- Twins, 66-89, ELIMINATED
- White Sox, 58-97, ELIMINATED
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Yankees remaining schedule
The Yankees close the year with three series against non-playoff teams.
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| 9/21 | at Orioles | 1:35 p.m. ET |
| 9/23 | vs White Sox | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| 9/24 | vs White Sox | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| 9/25 | vs White Sox | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| 9/26 | vs Orioles | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| 9/27 | vs Orioles | 1:05 p.m. ET |
| 9/28 | vs Orioles | 3:05 p.m. ET |
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Yankees MLB magic number
The Yankees have a magic number of five to make the playoffs. New York does not have a magic number for the AL East, as the Blue Jays control their own destiny.
MLB playoff tiebreakers
The expanded postseason format introduced by MLB in 2022 eliminated tiebreaker games, previously known as “Game 163.” Instead, ties are now resolved using a series of criteria.
The first tiebreaker is the teams’ head-to-head record. If that record is even, the next tiebreaker is each team’s record within its division, even if the teams are in different divisions. If a tie still remains, the teams’ record within their league (American or National) becomes the deciding factor.
So, here’s the process for a two-team tie:
- Head-to-head record
- Record within division
- Record within league
The process is a bit more complicated for three-team ties. If one team has a winning record against each of the other teams, that team wins the tiebreaker. If two teams have an identical record against each other but both have a better record against the third team, the third team is out and the head-to-head process would be used to split the remaining two teams.
