The Yankees Win The AL East Title In Vladdy's House

Cole Burston. Getty Images.

Your New York Yankees are the AL East division champs. Listen, they are a long, long way from the job being finished, but they absolutely deserve to celebrate this night. Toronto was dubbed the favorite to win the division from the jump. Expectations from the Yankees were low, and I won't lie I wasn't very high on them myself. Credit to them they put together a great regular season behind exceptional defense and an MVP carrying the offense with an other-worldly year. 

Things were absolutely brutal a few weeks ago. Tampa found themselves on the doorstep of somehow overtaking the AL East lead. New York went on a 9-20 stretch as they dealt with injuries and lifeless at bats all throughout the lineup. One guy refused to go on a slump, however, and it's this man. The MVP. 

The Yankees are celebrating their division title tonight mainly because of Aaron Judge. It takes more than one guy in baseball to be successful, but Judge certainly tested that theory this year. He's been everything for this team and deserves all the riches that are going to follow with it. Helluva season, but we still need two more homers to put a bow on the regular season. Takeover the postseason and lead them to 28? He'll be immortal as well as the richest man alive. 

As for what's to come? Things are coming together once again just at the right time. The injured are healing up most importantly. You're hopefully getting some solid combination of DJ, Wandy, Carpenter, and Benintendi returning in the next few weeks before the ALDS gets going. Bader has arrived from the IL and looked great, banishing Hicks from CF. Rizzo seems right again. Sevy has looked good. Stanton needs to sort himself out in October, but Gleyber has suddenly turned things up to 11. How the lineup sorts itself out is anyone's guess, but the bats are hot and need to stay that way regardless who is in there. Is this rotation good enough to win in October? Well if Jamo pitches like he did tonight then yes. Cole has to show up in the postseason. Nestor needs to do his thing as well as Sevy. Gonna need a few guys to emerge as tope tier trusted arms here, but the pieces are in there for them to get it done. It's a lot of ifs, but the first part of the check list was a division title as well as a first round bye. Celebrate this. I despise people who champagne/beer shame. It's a loooooong fucking season with lots of ups and downs, you should pause and get drunk before locking back in for the ultimate goal. 

Let's just make sure Harrison Bader finds his way back to the team hotel

P.S. Shout out to Vladdy for being a gracious host and letting the Yankees do this in house  

(that was just last night btw)