Look at Yankees record and pause for a moment.
At the time of this writing, they were 76-39, 10 games ahead of second-place Tampa Bay.
Winning the division has become an afterthought.
Nine straight wins with a 12-6 victory over Toronto Friday.
They set a new major league record with 19 homers in their last four games. That includes not having Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks, and Giancarlo Stanton not in the lineup.
Pause for a moment. Take it in.
With this roster, it can look like 1996 all over again. The type of club with the right mix of stars and role players.
They are 37 games above .500. For most of the season, they have been above the 30-game mark.
This is a team that has 25 players with 28 stints on the injured list.
Through Wednesday’s game, they were second in the league in home runs (203) and in hitting (.272).
Yes, this has been all well stated, but it has not been appreciated.
There were the catcalls a few weeks ago to add a starting pitcher.
They didn’t and Houston did. Oh, no! The Astros will now will the World Series.
Don’t panic. Yes, don’t.
The Yankees quickly debunked the presumption with workmanlike efforts from Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Domingo German, and part of their bullpen as an opener posted an impressive four-game sweep of the defending Boston Red Sox and placed a nail in their division hopes.
Their pitching is adequate enough to win a playoff series and a World Series.
Even though Houston looks like a favorite to take the American League and win it all, the Yankees still have enough bats and a loaded bullpen to get it done.
GM Brian Cashman may have done the best job of his Yankee career finding perfect role players Cameron Maybin, Gia Urchella, and Edwin Encarnacion, all of whom would be toiling away or possibly not even in the game.
Mike Ford, Kyle Higashioka, and Mike Tachman have made the trip from Scranton and haven’t missed a beat.
Brett Gardner found a Fountain of Youth after many believed he was done.
Glebyer Torres appears to be in the infant stages of rewriting the Yankees record books.
What I’ve stated isn’t a revelation. It should be a reminder on how good this team has been.
Don’t forget manager Aaron Boone who successfully has steered this juggernaut. At the end of last season, there were plenty of second guesses about his ability.
This has been a run paced by the B Team. When the injured fully return, it can really get scary. When that times comes, reflect upon what happened earlier and cherish it.
It may have helped punch a ticket to the World Series and more to come.