Thanks to the efforts of all the previously mentioned contributors, the 1996 Yankees secured the American League East division title with 92 victories. The eventual Wild Card-winning Orioles had trimmed the lead from 12 games on July 28th to a mere 2.5 games in mid-September, but Joe Torre's club stayed the course and clinched with a 19-2 blowout victory over the Brewers on September 25th.
Although winning their first division title since 1981 was nice, it did not come with any improved luxuries from what the Yankees experienced as a Wild Card in the previous year.