Yankees Clinch AL East Crown, Now True Test Begins

 

The New York Yankees are once again champions of the American League East. The Bronx Bombers enjoyed a 10-1 victory over their AL East rivals, the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in a game that felt more like a coronation.

The Yankees never trailed on Thursday, using a six-run sixth inning to pole vault themselves to a much-needed laugher after dropping the first two games of this series.

Aaron Judge Celebrates. Getty Images

It's been a wild year for the Yankees. They got off to a scintillating start to the season, winning 49 of their first 70 games, before cooling dramatically in June and July. There were questions about the starting rotation, the bullpen, and the potency of the lineup.

Yet through it all the Yankees still found ways to win. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto proved to be the lethal 1-2 punch that everyone expected they'd be this season. Austin Wells turned into a solid contributor offensively belting 13 homers and driving in 55, while improving as a catcher defensively.

Can the Yankees get major contributions from players not named Judge and Soto in the lineup?

Can Gerrit Cole look like the Cy Young Award winner of old?

Will Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman, and Luis Gil give Aaron Boone enough confidence and innings in the playoffs?

How will the Yankees manage their bullpen?

These are all fascinating questions. And we will begin to get answers in the coming days!