In just a week, the entire AL East playoff picture has been flipped on its head. Why? Because up until September 17, the Yankees were five games behind the Blue Jays. But now they’ve closed the gap completely. Yes, you heard that right, the two are tied. That swing came from the Blue Jays stumbling with back-to-back losses to the Red Sox, while the Yankees kept rolling against the White Sox.

So, with both New York and Boston picking up steam as Toronto falters, the big question is: what’s next for the Yankees and Red Sox as the Blue Jays start to unravel?

But here’s the twist. When it comes to ties, MLB settles them with a series of regular-season tiebreakers, starting with head-to-head records. Right now, the Blue Jays still hold that edge over the Yankees. So if they finish tied, Toronto would come out on top. That’s basically their only advantage left.

Now, if the Yankees enter the postseason as the No. 1 wild card, they’d host all games of the best-of-three wild card series at Yankee Stadium. But if they manage to win the division, they’d jump straight into the Division Series beginning October 4. And for that to happen, the Yankees would need a perfect 4-0 run to repeat as AL East champs, considering the Blue Jays are going 1-4 in their last five games.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have been holding steady at the second AL wild card and No. 5 seed for most of the past two months. They’re on track to face the Yankees for a three-game series in the Bronx to kick off the playoffs. Reportedly, in the wild-card race, they’ve been battling the Astros for second place. But after Houston lost 5-1 to the Athletics, they’ve dropped two games behind Boston, clearing the path for the Red Sox!

Hence, if the Red Sox keep winning in Toronto, they might even get the luxury of playing for seeding this weekend. And here comes the bottom line! Both the Yankees and Red Sox are poised to make deep postseason runs at the Blue Jays’ expense.

The Yankees are repeating last year’s story

Remember 2024? The Yankees were crowned the AL East champions, and they went on to take on the Dodgers in the World Series. This year, they are similarly closing in on the AL East Pennant. And have a high probability of facing the Dodgers again.

Well, the Yankees have had plenty of highs and lows in recent years. But a few moments stung as badly as last season’s World Series. Yes, we still remember Game 5, that infamous dropped fly ball by Aaron Judge that essentially handed the title away. Now, combine that with the decision to let Juan Soto go, and it’s no wonder last year felt like a gut punch.

So, losing the championship to the Dodgers was a bitter pill to swallow. And for the Yankees, it remains the most upsetting chapter in recent memory. But this season, the energy feels different. The Yankees have found their stride late in September, putting together a surge that has catapulted them right back into the conversation as serious contenders.

“This is the first step. We’re playing really well, but ultimately, we know we have a lot more to do.” Cody Bellinger summed it up as Clinching a postseason berth is just step one. The next step is to lock down the divisional crown. And from there, it’s all about chasing the World Series trophy. Now, let’s see how it goes hereon…