There was a time when playing against their divisional rivals in the American League East was the most daunting part of the Yankees’ schedule. As recently as last season, the Yankees lost 41 of the 76 games they played against the other A.L. East teams, while going 49-37 against everyone else they faced.
Their performance in the division, which produced both A.L. wild-card playoff teams, was arguably the reason the Yankees did not make the playoffs in 2016.
But this season has been a reversal. After a 9-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were 39-27 against A.