New York Yankees: 70-62
The New York Yankees were running away with a playoff spot before their recent struggles. Now, they are struggling at the worst possible time.
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These struggles can be tied directly to several of their stars. Aroldis Chapman, who had been automatic as a closer, has been surprisingly mortal. Perhaps it is due to his usage in the 2016 postseason, but he has not looked right all season, and is working as a mop up pitcher.
On offense, a pair of young stars are trending in the wrong direction. Gary Sanchez will miss time due to his actions during the Yankees brawl with the Tigers. Aaron Judge has had a couple of days off recently to get himself a mental break. After looking like the first player since Ichiro Suzuki to win the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP award in the same season, he has been average at best.
Fortunately for the Yankees, they had added depth. Sonny Gray gives New York an excellent compliment to Masahiro Tanaka, and David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle may be a part of the deepest bullpen in baseball. With the Yankees lineup getting healthy, they could find their way back to the playoffs.
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If a team is going to take out the New York Yankees, this may be the time. Otherwise, the Yankees could make some noise come October.