New York Yankees Predicted to Finish Behind Boston Red Sox in AL East

The New York Yankees season would be a big disappointment if this prediction happens.

Jun 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Alex Verdugo (24) celebrates his two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox with left fielder Juan Soto (22) during the first inning at Fenway Park. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees played poorly over the past month and a half entering the All-Star break. Luckily, the Baltimore Orioles haven't exactly played well, keeping the Yankees just one game out in the division.

However, as they found in the first half with the Orioles taking over first place, they could put together another rough stretch and fall even more. The Boston Red Sox are just 3.5 games behind New York and have played well entering the break, a potential issue as both teams look to win the division.

The Yankees will have a tough stretch out of the break, including a three-game series against the Red Sox starting on July 26. That series could be one where Boston jumps them in the standings, and Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report believes that's eventually going to happen.

Reuter released MLB predictions for the second half, predicting that the Red Sox will finish higher in the AL East than New York.

"That early success was enough for the Yankees to still hold a 3.5-game lead over the Red Sox in the standings while trailing the first-place Baltimore Orioles by one game, but few teams have been trending down more aggressively over the past month than the Yankees.

"The Yankees have a 97.8 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs, so predicting that they will miss the postseason entirely is a stretch. But it's not out of the question to think they could finish third in the AL East standings and behind their arch rivals."

After the start of the season that the Yankees had, it would've been a crazy idea to suggest that they'll finish third in the division. However, due to Boston playing better, and Baltimore staying afloat, it looks like a real possibility.

Winning the division is always the goal, but it's not the end all be all. If New York can sneak into the playoffs and be fully healthy, one could argue that they stack up well against any team in baseball.

That'd be a better scenario than them winning the division and having multiple key pieces out due to injury, something that they've dealt with plenty of times over the past few years.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Yankees will have a chance to improve their roster and help themselves win the division. By adding players at the deadline who could make an impact, they could also avoid some potential injuries.

It's a big few weeks coming up, and New York is the only one that can control it.