How the Yankees can clinch an AL wild-card spot on Sunday

Yankees rightfielder Aaron Judge looks on after flying out to... — Yankees rightfielder Aaron Judge looks on after flying out to end the third inning against the Rays in an MLB game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

By Nick Klopsisnicholas.klopsis@newsday.com @nickklopsisOctober 3, 2021

The Yankees’ path to an AL wild-card spot is simple: Win Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Rays, and they’re in.

Entering Sunday, the Yankees are tied with the Boston Red Sox for the first wild-card spot with a record of 91-70. The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners both are a game behind with 90-71 records.

A win would clinch a wild-card spot for the Yankees, period. If they win and the Red Sox lose, they also would clinch home-field advantage against whichever of the Red Sox, Blue Jays or Mariners advance. (If both the Yankees and Red Sox win, the Red Sox will have home-field advantage because they hold the season series tiebreaker over the Yankees, 10-9.)

A loss does not mean the end of the season for the Yankees, however. They already have clinched at least a one-game playoff (a Game 163, if you will). That's because a loss would put them at 91-71, and if Toronto and/or Seattle win (thus finishing at 91-71 as well), it would force a tie for at least one of the two wild-card spots. Whether it's a two, three or even four-way tie (if Boston also loses and finishes at 91-71) remains to be seen, with each having a different tiebreak situation.

That also means the Yankees can back into a playoff spot on Sunday if they lose and both the Blue Jays and Mariners also lose. In that case, the Yankees would travel to Boston for the wild-card game, regardless of whether Boston wins or loses on Sunday.

The Yankees announced Saturday afternoon that Jameson Taillon will start Sunday’s regular-season finale. In doing so, they are keeping ace Gerrit Cole in reserve, be it for a play-in game or the actual wild-card game itself.