Aaron Boone’s Yankees history shows how imperative chasing down Blue Jays in AL East may be
After an up-and-down season, the Yankees are poised to make a run at another AL East title, sitting just two games behind the first-place Blue Jays.
And while the Yankees are secure in a wild-card spot — barring a complete collapse — finishing at the top of the division still matters.
Just look at Yankees history during Aaron Boone’s managerial tenure.
Since Boone took over in 2018, the Yankees have won the division three times and reached the ALCS each year they did so, including 2024, when they advanced to the World Series.
In Boone’s other four playoff appearances, when the Yankees reached as a wild card, they haven’t moved beyond the ALDS.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) walks off the field after a pitching change during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
So, catching the Blue Jays over the final 19 games would seem to be especially important as the Yankees prepare for another key series in The Bronx against the Tigers beginning Tuesday.
“We’ll see,’’ Boone said Monday of how crucial a first-place finish would be. “We’ll see at the end, when it’s all said and done, if it means anything or not.”
Still, given the clear implications of their place in the standings heading into the postseason, it’s easy to see why the Yankees were pleased to have figured out at least some of the Blue Jays’ signs over the weekend, including Sunday in the first inning against Max Scherzer.
During Ben Rice’s at-bat, Aaron Judge was at second base and waved his arms, with Cody Bellinger also motioning at first base.
The result was a game-turning three-run homer by Rice, which helped the Yankees win the series and shave a game off Toronto’s lead in the division.
Ben Rice celebrates in the dugout with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.
Giants RB Tyrone Tracey Jr., Yankees Manager Aaron Boone, pop artist Charles Fazzino and Jets Defensive Captain Jamien Sherwood, unveiling Fazzinos Official Artwork for SBH Health System’s 3rd Annual “NY Team of Heroes” Gala at Avra Rockefeller Center.
Following the game, Toronto manager John Schneider stated the obvious: “They were relaying pitches. They’re good at it. Major League Baseball knows the Yankees are good when they have something. Maybe I’m the only one that’s going to say it publicly. But we have to do a better job of making sure we’re not giving anything away.”
And much like his players, Boone didn’t apologize for being smart.
“Every team does something to try to gain an edge wherever they can,” Boone said while at the kickoff reception for SBH Health System’s third annual “NY Team of Heroes” Gala at Avra in Midtown.
“You create an edge and try to use it,” Boone said. “It’s a competitive world and a competitive game, and you never stop trying to get a little advantage wherever you can. If you can turn them into something, great. That’s the game, just like any other part of the game you work on.”
Golden Knights Goalie Gunning for Canada’s Starting Role
Adin Hill is entering the first year of a six-year contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old puck-stopper started a career best 50 games last year for the Knights and emerged as an integral piece of the Vegas organization. He also made his case to be an integral piece of Canada's 2026 Winter Olympics Roster.
The Golden Knights starter served as a backup to St. Louis Blues veteran and Canada starter Jordan Binnington at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year, and the two are leading the race for the top role next winter. Hill faces a tough task trying to usurp the starting job from Binnington, a former Stanley Cup winner, but he's the challenger best equipped to do so.
Give More Than You Get
Hill was solid in nearly every aspect of goaltending last season. According to NHL EDGE, his save percentage in all offensive zone locations was above the league average, watermarked by a nearly perfect .978 save percentage on long-range shots on goal and a .897 save percentage on mid-range shots on goal. Both figures ranked above the 60th percentile of all NHL goalies last season. His goals-against average of 2.47 ranked in the 90th percentile among goalies.
Hill also was routinely making saves on quality scoring chances when the Golden Knights’ defense broke down. MoneyPuck’s model for expected goals calculated 135.53 expected goals were launched on Hill, but he only allowed 121 goals against. That resulted in his goals saved above expected finishing at 14.5, better than the figures posted by notable top netminders like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars and Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators.
Size Advantage
Hill stands at an imposing 6’4” and 215 pounds. He possesses the ideal size for a modern goaltender, and it’s a huge part of how his game succeeds. His long legs allow him to move laterally with ease and less effort, nearly eliminating the bottom half of the net.
It also makes him ideally suited to withstand the rigorous tournament the Olympics will surely be. Teams in the field like Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States have the forward depth to keep pushing and get to the high-danger scoring areas. One possible way to combat that is Hill’s large frame.
His size also eliminates angles for shooters. When he pushes off his post, he leaves the shooting forward with no net to see. This is exhibited by his save percentage on unblocked shots. Using MoneyPuck’s data on unblocked shot attempts from last season, Hill posted a low-danger save percentage of .973, a medium-danger save percentage of .888 and a high-danger save percentage of .730.
Why is that impressive? Each statistic exceeded expectations. The same model of expected goals from MoneyPuck predicted an expected high-danger save percentage of .679, an expected medium-danger save percentage of .877 and an expected low-danger save percentage of .971, meaning that Hill performed above expected in all three offensive zones. The only other goalie to start 40 games and also outperform the expected save percentage last year was Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
One Tweak Could Be the Difference
One issue I’ve noticed while observing Hill is that he can play a bit deep in his crease. It’s likely a byproduct of his hulking size in net, but it can be to his detriment. He can be susceptible to shot deflections because of this, and he also can give up an occasional juicy rebound.
By moving up a bit in his crease, he could eliminate this issue. Already a sturdy goaltender when it comes to fighting for position, taking that little bit more of space could cut down shooting angles even more, reduce the frequency of deflections beating him and rebounds.
If he can do that, Binnington’s starting job is far from a guarantee. The winning experience of the Blues goaltender is a huge advantage, but Hill’s own success in the NHL combined with a career-best season pushing him into 2025-2026 makes him the biggest challenge for Canada’s starting goalie job.
