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For pretty much the entirety of the 2025 regular season, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays have fought tooth and nail for supremacy in the AL East. In the end, it was the Blue Jays that came out on top, winning the division for the first time since 2015.
As we find ourselves in October, the Yankees face off against their familiar foes once again, this time in the ALDS. The Blue Jays won the season series 8-5 against New York, and looking at how the first two games of the division series have gone, it appears' the Blue Jays still have the beating of the Bronx Bombers.
With all their hitters seemingly swinging a red-hot bat at the moment, the Blue Jays outscored their opponents 23-8 in the two games that have taken place so far.
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Speaking to insider Ken Rosenthal of "The Athletic" on Monday, injured Yankees ace Gerrit Cole claimed the contrasting "level of execution" both offenses have shown has been the key factor differentiating the two teams so far.
"“The biggest takeaway for me is that our level of execution needs to be better,” Cole said. “But their level of execution is objectively hard to deal with at this point. They’re just raking right now.”
Having won the AL Cy Young award as recently as 2023, New York would definitely have loved to have someone like Gerrit Cole to count on in an important series like this. Unfortunately, the 35-year-old was shut down early in the season due to elbow discomfort, and has had to sit the entirety of the season out after he had to undergo Tommy John surgery.
The Yankees have a mountain to climb to avoid elimination from the playoffs
Down 2-0 in a best-of-five series, the New York Yankees now have their backs against the wall. In order to avoid elimination, the 27-time World Series champions must now win the next three games in a row against the Toronto Blue Jays, who appear to be firing on all cylinders at the moment.
Games three and four of the series are set to take place in the Bronx, while a potential fifth game, should it be required, will see both teams return to Toronto.
Though recent performances do not inspire much confidence, fans can take encouragement from the fact that New York actually won the two most recent home games against the Blue Jays, which took place in early September.
