The Yankees (89-64) currently hold the top spot in the American League. If the 2024 MLB playoffs began today, New York would receive a first-round bye. They are closely followed by the second-seeded Cleveland Guardians (89-65), who are just half a game behind them, with the Baltimore Orioles (85-68) not far behind either.
The Orioles have a three-game gap to close to catch up to the Yankees, while the fourth-seeded Houston Astros (83-70) and fifth-seeded Kansas City Royals (82-71) would each need strong winning streaks to overcome their six and seven-game deficits to New York, respectively.
Will a few games of rest hurt Judge’s MVP chances?
It’s reasonable to say the Yankees have some flexibility to consider resting Aaron Judge for a portion of their final nine games. Judge, the 32-year-old Fresno State product, has been pivotal to New York’s success this season and remains the frontrunner for the 2024 AL MVP award. However, the Yankees have gone 1-1 in the two games without him this year, a small sample but an indication that they could manage without him in the short term.
Crucially, with a comfortable lead over the Orioles in the standings, Yankees manager Aaron Boone can afford to give Judge some time off in the outfield, even if sporadically, to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Still, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. has been pushing hard, and if he finishes the season strong while the Yankees manage Judge’s absence, the MVP race could tighten, as nothing is guaranteed.