Nobody can doubt that the New York Yankees are one of the most successful teams in all of sports, as well as one of the most popular worldwide, and it’s no surprise. If it’s not against the Detroit Tigers, it will happen in another game, and the franchise will continue to extend a streak that began over two decades ago, though their success in terms of championships isn’t entirely proportional.
The Yankees’ legacy remains stronger than ever
With a victory over Detroit, the Yankees can achieve 33 consecutive winning seasons, a streak that started back in the distant 1993. Since then, the organization has amassed 3,003 wins, securing five World Series titles, eight pennants, and finishing as the top team in the American League East on 16 occasions.
During this span, they lead MLB with 6,766 home runs, rank third in hits with 47,024, and third in batting average with .266. In terms of OPS, they’re tied with the Boston Red Sox at .782.
Over this period, Aaron Judge leads the team in home runs with 358, closely followed by Alex Rodriguez with 351. For WAR according to FanGraphs, Derek Jeter tops the list with 73, while Judge is second with 59.3. Jeter also accumulated 3,465 hits, far ahead of Bernie Williams, who has 2,187.
On the pitching side, Andy Pettitte leads the organization with 219 wins during this period, and his 57.1 WAR (per FanGraphs) is the highest. He’s followed by Mariano Rivera with 39.1.
The streak came closest to breaking in 2023, a year before the Yankees returned to the World Series. Andy Martino wrote for SNY that league executives were “amazed” by Brian Cashman‘s ability to maintain the streak of winning seasons. The fans’ reaction was the complete opposite: on social media, many were calling for his ouster, a sentiment dating back to the loss of Cliff Lee or even the 2004 collapse.
This year, the Yankees don’t appear to be at risk of missing the playoffs. However, if they suffer an early elimination, achievements like consecutive winning seasons would carry little weight. What truly matters to fans is the 28th championship; anything less would be a disappointment.
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