The Yankees are in position to make a run but the second half is far from easy originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The second half presents a real opportunity for the New York Yankees, but they have to take advantage of it.

Unfortunately, they didn’t start it clean. Cam Schlittler was scratched with an undisclosed issue, and Max Fried is sidelined by a blister, pushing his return back to Toronto.

Still, with a 53–43 record, the Yankees sit just two games behind Toronto in the American League East heading into the break. And the odds say they’ve got a shot.

FanGraphs projects they’ll finish 92–70, with a 58.7% chance to win the division and 93.3% chance of making the playoffs. Now add a boost: they have the 10th-easiest remaining schedule in MLB according to PowerRankingsGuru.comand an SOS of .496, placing them in the 18th position overall.

An easier schedule should give them room to breathe,  let players like Fried get healthy and give time for Luis Gil, Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter, Jr. get back from the injured list. 

But softer competition doesn’t win games on its own. New York has struggled with consistency, bullpen depth, and third-base production.

They’ve still got key series coming against the Blue Jays, Rays, and Astros,  all of which could decide their season. The schedule helps, but it’s not a cushion to coast on. Fangraphs has a chance to win the American League East at just 25% and their playoff chances are at 73%. They have a 5.7% chance of winning the World Series. 

They have six games remaining against both the Blue Jays and Rays. They also have a big series with the American League Central-leading Tigers in the second half. 

FanGraphs has them as division favorites, but that’s only a projection. The Yankees have the structure, the schedule, and the odds, but now it’s on them.

The formula’s there. Now they just have to execute.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.