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The New York Yankees blew out another opponent, and won another game on Sunday.
Without question, the Yanks are the big bully of MLB. They are the best team, by far, with a 44-16 record.
They honestly look like they should never lose. Ask the Chicago Cubs, who lost, 18-4, in Da Bronx.
But you shouldn’t be that impressed by the Yankees winning in the regular season. It’s what they’ve done consistently since the year 2000.
The problem is the postseason, where the Yankees have been ordinary to bad.
Despite having won more games than any other team since 2000, they have won just one World Series in the time since. The drought is real, ridiculous, to be honest.
It has to be the root of frustration for Yankee fans. Their team never finishes the job anymore. The Yanks leave fans unfulfilled, wanting more year after year.
Yes, the Yankees are MLB’s Green Bay Packers.
In years gone by, it would have been a compliment. But not now.
In both cases, it’s about finally winning another title, not piling up meaningless regular-season victories.
The Packers, led by back-to-back NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, have won 13 games each of the last three seasons. And despite a 13-4 mark last season, they lost their lone playoff game at home to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Packers haven’t won a Super Bowl since that 2010 season. It’s mind boggling that 12 years have come and gone with no hardware in Green Bay, once dubbed Titletown.
The Pack have won eight NFC North titles since then but nothing else.
The Yankees are in the same boat. It’s been feast in the regular season and famine when it matters most. In the past 10 seasons (2013-2022), the Yankees have a .567 winning percentage, and made the playoffs six times, but they have no trophies to show for it. In the last 22 seasons, they won the World Series twice, in 2000 and 2009.
In the most recent glory days of the Yankees, they were a real dynasty, winning four championships in five years, including three in a row in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
But that seems like ancient history. There’s no confidence that the Yankees can close the deal. Last season, they lost to the Boston Red Sox in the Wild-Card Game. In their two best chances to get back to the Fall Classic, they lost to the Houston Astros twice: 2017 and 2019.
For sure, this Yankees team — on pace to win a ridiculous 119 games — isn’t as flawed as some other ones. There doesn’t seem to be a real weakness. The rotation is No. 1 in the game, leading the league with a stingy 2.84 ERA. Their bullpen is amazing.
And they are truly the Bronx Bombers with 94 home runs in just 60 games.
The defense is better. They are running the bases well. You would have to nitpick to find something that this Yankee team doesn’t do well.
They are a fun watch every night.
And their best player, Judge, has been the best player in baseball hands down. He leads the Majors in homers with 24, six more than the second-best mark (Mets’ Pete Alonso).
Slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s power has been on display as well. They are definitely a dynamic duo.
In a lot of ways, this feels like 1998 when the Yankees went 114-48, .704 winning percentage. That’s the best record in Yankees’ history. That team ran through the postseason with ease and swept the San Diego Padres in the World Series.
Many, at this point, believe the Yankees will break their record for wins in a regular season. Can they really win 119 games? “That’s tough to sustain,” Judge told the media after the game on Sunday. “But if anyone could do it, [this] could be the team.”
And that would all be well and good. Still, it wouldn’t be enough. The Yankees have won more championships than any other team in this country with 27. Their brand is all about winning. So setting a record in the regular season shouldn’t move anyone.
If indeed this is 1998 all over, fans will finally be able to rejoice. That season ended with the most wins ever in franchise history and another championship. That’s the only endgame for this current Yankee team.
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