The New York Yankees are staring into the abyss. After two devastating losses to the Toronto Blue Jays, they find themselves on the brink of elimination in the ALDS. But here's the kicker: history says comebacks like this are rare, but not impossible. Can the Yankees defy the odds and turn this series around?
The first two games in Toronto were nothing short of a nightmare for the Yankees. They weren't just beaten—they were dominated, outscored 23-8 and outhomered 8-1. Those 23 runs mark the highest total ever allowed by a team in the first two games of a postseason series. It's been a brutal wake-up call.
"It feels like the world's caving in around you," admitted Yankees manager Aaron Boone after Game 2. "But baseball is unpredictable. We’ve seen stranger things happen this season. If we can turn it around, this wouldn’t even be the weirdest comeback of the year."
Under the 2-2-1 best-of-five format, teams that win the first two games at home have gone on to win 31 of 34 series, with 20 of those being sweeps. The odds are stacked against the Yankees, but there’s a glimmer of hope: the last team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in this format was the 2017 Yankees, led by none other than Aaron Judge. So, it can be done. But how?
Here’s what the Yankees need to pull off this improbable comeback:
1. A Dominant Start from Carlos Rodón
The Yankees’ starting pitching has been a disaster so far, with Luis Gil and Max Fried combining for just 5 ⅔ innings in Games 1 and 2. If Carlos Rodón doesn’t step up in Game 3, the series might as well be over. History shows that teams that rally from a 2-0 deficit often get a lights-out performance in Game 3. Think Masahiro Tanaka’s 7-inning shutout in 2017. Rodón needs to channel that energy.
Rodón has faced the Blue Jays twice this season, allowing two earned runs in five innings each time. That won’t cut it now. The Yankees need him to be exceptional, especially with Toronto’s bullpen having already exposed New York’s middle relievers.
"The Blue Jays make a lot of contact, and I’ve always chased the strikeout," Rodón said. "That’s how I pitch." But against this lineup, he’ll need more than just strikeouts—he’ll need precision.
2. The Home Run Heroes Need to Wake Up
The Yankees led MLB with 274 home runs during the regular season, but you wouldn’t know it from their postseason performance. They’ve hit just three homers in five playoff games, and only one in their last three. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have outhomered them 8-1 in the ALDS. Is this the part where the Yankees remember they’re the Bronx Bombers?
Contrary to popular belief, home runs increase in the postseason. Over the past four years, the home run rate in October has been higher than in the regular season. So, where are the long balls from Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Trent Grisham? Judge is hitting .444 this postseason, but all singles and doubles. Stanton and Grisham? Homerless. If the Yankees want to stay alive, they need to start launching balls over the fence—starting now.
3. Make Yankee Stadium a Fortress
Rogers Centre has been a house of horrors for the Yankees this season. They’re 1-8 in Toronto in 2025, outscored 75-41. But at home? The Yankees are a different team. They went 50-31 at Yankee Stadium this season, with a +85 run differential. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are a .500 team on the road.
The Yankees need to turn their home field into a weapon. They’re 4-2 against the Blue Jays in the Bronx this year, but they can’t afford to drop a single game now. A sweep is the only path forward. As Rodón put it, "The energy in Yankee Stadium during the playoffs is electric. It’s a treat to pitch here." That energy needs to translate into wins.
4. A Little Luck Wouldn’t Hurt
Let’s be honest: the Yankees need every break they can get. A favorable call on a close pitch. A bloop single that falls in. A defensive miscue by the Blue Jays. Luck plays a role in every comeback, and the Yankees need the baseball gods on their side.
But here’s the controversial part: Is relying on luck a sustainable strategy? Or do the Yankees need to dig deeper and play the best baseball of their lives? And if they do pull this off, will it be remembered as a miracle or a testament to their resilience?
What do you think? Can the Yankees turn this series around, or is it already over? Let us know in the comments—we want to hear your take!
