The Yankees have a 54% probability of making the postseason. Their team rating is 1552, an increase of 6 points from the previous week.
In addition to being one of the top-ranked teams, New York is also expected to have the best record in baseball. The Yanks are ranked first in both DFS and MLB betting markets with +1200 odds to win the World Series. They're also the heavy favorite to represent the American League in the 2021 All-Star Game.
It's been nearly 10 years since the last time the Yankees made the playoffs; they were defeated by the Red Sox in five games in 2011. However, it should be noted that after losing 200 games between 2009 and 2010, the Yankees returned to the postseason the following year. If they can repeat as the number one seed in the AL, then there's a good chance they'll reach the World Series again.
New York is coming off its third straight 100-win season; their winning percentage (/.500) is the highest of any other major league team. The Bronx Bombers are also expected to be strong contenders this year because most projections have them at least tied for first place in the AL East.
The Mariners have a 4% probability of making the postseason. Their team rating is 1486, an increase of 2 points from the previous week.
In addition to improving their roster this season, the Mariners have also changed how they construct their teams. They now use a draft-and-develop strategy instead of trading for players first. Previously, the M's made trades to put younger players on the field while also relying on some of the older guys to step up and lead them during key moments of games. This year, they've tried something new by drafting and developing all of their own players instead. The result has been more consistent pitching and a better overall record so far this season.
The M's have several good pitchers in their rotation, but none stand out above the rest. James Paxton is the only one who has really shown he can be effective as a starter. He has a 3.48 ERA and 1.07 WHIP so far this season while throwing 197 innings over 17 starts. Felix Hernandez is still one of the best pitchers in baseball when he's healthy. He has a 3.73 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while throwing 200 innings over 16 starts. Hisashi Iwakuma provides solid starting pitching depth behind these two stars.
The New York Yankees last appeared in the playoffs in 2020, when they were eliminated in the AL Divisional Series. In their 116 seasons, they've made the playoffs 56 times. They've won 27 World Series titles, more than any other team.
The Yankees are one of only four major league teams to have never been eliminated by their own fans (the others are the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros).
After making the postseason for eleven consecutive years from 1996-2006, the Yankees failed to qualify every year since then except for 2019 when they finished second in the AL East behind Boston Red Sox.
Their latest playoff appearance came after winning the first World Series title in 2001. Since then, they've gone without a ring until this year when they defeated the Red Sox in seven games to win their third championship in nine years.
In addition to their three World Series titles, the Yankees have also won five American League pennants in the years following World War II, from 1946-1950 and '53-'55. They're the only team to have accomplished this feat.
Following their fifth World Series victory in 1962, the Yankees didn't win another title until 1977 - their most recent season before this year.
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