Aaron Judge hit his 56th home run and the customary “MVP” chants soon followed, though this time it was calmer and shorter.
No need to convince anyone anymore. Individual racing is now a thing.
Royals wunderkind shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is a great all-around player, but Judge is having his best season ever.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said other players are having “incredible” years, but correctly pointed out that Judge is “on another level.” Other players not mentioned, perhaps Whitt Jr. and Judge's teammate Juan Soto, would have been MVP-worthy in another year, but Judge is still performing like a video game champion this year.
The only player in the past half-century to have posted an OPS-plus higher than Judge's 221 before Tuesday was Barry Bonds, whose medical challenges have taken him to another planet.
Either way, the MVP Derby is not something we're concerned about at this point.
The American League East title race is also on the line. The Orioles delayed the inevitable with a 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees' magic number remains at one.
The truth is, this is really over, although technically it's not over yet. It's not about the competition.
MVP is nice, division titles are nice, but the real goal is still to win the overall championship, and that seems quite achievable this time around.
Some years, missing a round or two is OK, but this year, with the way they played, the way they set up and the way they felt physically, that's not the case.
That hasn't been the case this year, and it doesn't appear that's the case for the rest of the league.
The Orioles are missing four starting pitchers, including second baseman (Grayson Rodriguez) and second baseman (Kyle Bradish) from the rotation.
The Guardians is a good story but the pay is about a third of what it used to be.
Even the great Astros have been a bit off this year. They have the core and the know-how.
But no team will be able to beat the Yankees this time. After missing the World Series for 14 straight years, the Yankees look ready to make a run. Boone said he likes his team's focus, determination and “integrity,” which, in his words, seems to mean that all of his players are in good enough shape to perform, something of a luxury these days.
The full health report is summed up in one paragraph. The only player on the report, Kirk's cousin Jake Cousins, received “encouraging news” about a pectoral injury, so if he returns, his only worry will be living up to the highest expectations in 15 years.
It's one thing to have a $311 million payroll. It's quite another to have a $311 million payroll perfectly prepared. Peaking is great, but being at peak health is what separates them from the rest of the American League.
“Over the years we've had injuries at the worst possible time,” Judge said.
This time it's different.
Judge noted all of the players who have returned to health over the past few days, adding, “Our goal is to have this lineup, this team and be in a good position going into October.”
They look strong. But is this team perfect? No, it's not the 1998 Yankees.
Gleyber Torres is a really good hitter. But you need a compass on the basepaths. Torres was run out between third and home plate with a potential tying run, his sixth MLB-high outing while trying to get out at home (via YES Network). Judge suggested it was a “little miscommunication,” but added, “We can't keep shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Things aren't perfect. Alex Verdugo remains a semi-regular despite his downtime. If Boone is trying to get Verdugo to play in the playoffs, that's not working. Anthony Rizzo isn't what he used to be. And Anthony Volpe hasn't played to his potential, at least offensively.
The team got off to a good start but also experienced some downturns. After their strong start, they recorded a 50% win rate for about half the season.
For a while it looked like the Yankees were getting by with a two-man offense — Soto and Judge wouldn't be too bad — but lately it's looked more like a six-man lineup, which has worked well because it includes two of the best hitters in the league (this is fact, not opinion — check the stats).
For quite some time, it seemed like the team really needed a strikeout player in a bullpen that was more gassed than pitching, but that has quickly turned around.
Ian Hamilton pitched five scoreless innings, Tommy Kahnle pitched six and Tim Hill pitched seven. New standout Luke Weaver seems to dominate every time he pitches. Not enough strikeouts? Weaver has 22 strikeouts in his last 10 innings.
This team has no major injuries or major issues.
The Yankees have done well and won great, noteworthy trophies, but they aim higher. They deserve to do better.
