MLB Roundtable: How Vulnerable Are The Yankees?

There are roughly 30 games left in the MLB season and there are still playoff spots up for grabs, including in the AL East, where the New York Yankees are just two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox.

Let's take a look at the playoff picture and the star returns that could change it in this week's MLB Roundtable with Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar: The last time the Red Sox faced the Yankees, Boston swept New York but were still 10 games under .500.

Now, Boston is 73-60 and just behind New York for the top wild-card.

What are the chances the Red Sox actually overtake the Yankees in the standings? Kavner: I won’t be stunned if it happens.

Since losing Aaron Judge at the end of May, the Yankees’ offense ranks last in MLB in batting average and on-base percentage.

It’s still unclear when, exactly, he’ll return and what he’ll look like when he does.

The return of Cody Bellinger and the deadline addition of Luis Garcia Jr. have provided a boost to the lineup, but the Yankees didn’t do anything to address their bullpen.

That might prove costly, especially with Fernando Cruz now down.

And who knows how Max Fried’s recurring elbow issue will impact him the rest of the way? Meanwhile, we just saw the Red Sox have a 21-4 month of July and have gotten the wheels back on track after a rough start to August.

Strength of schedule matters a lot at this time of year, and the Yankees have the easier road ahead.

But if the Red Sox can take the series this weekend in the Bronx, it’ll basically be a toss-up the rest of the way.

Thosar: The gap is so small, and the Yankees’ bullpen looks so vulnerable, that it’s entirely possible the standings could flip by the end of the weekend.

Plus, rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. has the yips.

He’s committed six errors in his past six straight games.