There are a few teams we have become accustomed to seeing in the MLB playoffs.
Each year we expect to see the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros competing for a World Series.
But, the same can be said for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
The latter are two of the most popular brands in baseball and have fanbases that expect them to win.
Yet, both of those fanbases will head home disappointed this year.
According to The Athletic, for only the second time since 1995, the MLB playoffs will not feature the Red Sox or Yankees.
For just the second time since 1995, the MLB playoffs will not feature the Red Sox or Yankees. pic.twitter.com/w0ZsEvUllX
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 25, 2023
The Yankees are the bigger disappointment of the two teams.
Many people expected them to play for the World Series this year.
But injuries and poor play from some key players see the Yankees falling well short of expectations.
Even with Gerrit Cole as the heavy favorite to win AL Cy Young, the Yankees fell flat on their face.
Outside of Cole, their pitching has not been good.
The addition of Carlos Rodon has been a disaster as he holds a season ERA of 5.74 in 13 starts.
Plus, it does not help matters that Aaron Judge has only played in 101 games this season.
To win a World Series, a lot of things have to go right.
Aside from Cole, nothing seemed to go right in New York.
The Red Sox are still trying to rebuild their roster after a few down years.
So them missing the playoffs was not a shock.
Baseball is better when these two AL East rivals are good.
We should see better versions of both teams next year.
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