3 Yankees takeaways entering the MLB postseason

1. It’s right in front of them.

It has been among Aaron Boone’s go-to phrases in his seven seasons as manager — technically speaking, it goes: “It’s all right there in front of us” — and it probably is the least popular among Yankees fans. Regardless, here they are: AL East winners with home-field advantage against an AL field that has nothing but flawed teams. The Yankees have their share of flaws that could get them eliminated prematurely, but they seem to have fewer issues than whomever they end up playing. That guarantees nothing, of course, and recent baseball history is rife with examples of the “hot” team and not the best team qualifying for the World Series.

2. Jasson Dominguez remains a candidate to start in leftfield.

The most interesting decision the Yankees have before starting the ALDS will be the direction in which they go in leftfield — Alex Verdugo or Jasson Dominguez. Verdugo is the superior fielder but Dominguez, who has struggled in the field since his promotion, provides better potential with the bat. Boone said he views the defensive component as “very important” come playoff time, but this will be an organizational decision, and both players have their share of backers. “[I’ve] been encouraged with the last couple days out there, especially [Saturday],” Boone said on Sunday morning of Dominguez, who started in leftfield again on Sunday. “Thought he made some really good plays on a tough condition day with the drizzle and the wind. Thought he moved well out there, made some tougher plays look easy . . . certainly keeping himself in the mix.”  

3. The waiting game.

After concluding the regular season on Sunday, the Yankees won’t take the field again until Game 1 of the Division Series against either the Baltimore Orioles or Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The long layoff that top seeds face as the Wild Card Round goes on has been a source of controversy in the game for more than a few years, and each season a top seed or two goes home early. A long layoff, of course, doesn’t ensure an early exit — the 2022 Yankees, for instance, had a similarly long layoff and beat the Guardians in a five-game Division Series (before getting swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS). “We’ll do our best to prioritize taking advantage of the rest that I’m sure a number of guys this time of year will benefit from,” Boone said. “But also trying to make sure we keep that mental edge and keep guys as sharp as we possibly can with live looks and things like that.”