For the second straight season, the New York Yankees are heading to the playoffs. New York clinched a postseason berth Tuesday, with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.

It took a comeback to get there, with the Yankees entering the bottom of the ninth down 2-1. A wild pitch on a walk to Cody Bellinger tied the game, then José Caballero provided the walk-off hit.

While reaching the playoffs is cause for celebration, it’s far from the team’s ultimate goal. After falling in the World Series last year, the Yankees have their sights set on winning the franchise’s first championship since 2009.

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The team responded to its World Series loss by acquiring Cody Bellinger in a trade and signing ace Max Fried and veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Bellinger, Fried and Goldschmidt played a major role in the team’s success this season.

Bellinger bounced back after a down year with the Chicago Cubs to post his highest home-run total since 2019. Goldschmidt rediscovered his ability to hit for average in New York, and has been a menace against opposing lefties.

It helps that outfielder Aaron Judge is once again performing like the best hitter in the game. Judge’s slash line is reaching historical status and could make the outfielder the choice for American League MVP when the season ends.

Fried more than lived up to his lofty contract in Year 1 with the Yankees. The lefty posted a 2.92 ERA over a career-high 188 1/3 innings. He was joined by Carlos Rodón, who once again stayed healthy and delivered his finest season in New York.

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Those weapons will make the Yankees a threat in the AL, though the team might not wind up an overwhelming favorite to make it back to the World Series. Despite their excellence, the Yankees watched as the division rival Toronto Blue Jays clinched a postseason spot first. While the AL East has yet to be decided, the Blue Jays hold the edge there, which could push the Yankees into a wild-card series to kick off the playoffs.

Despite New York’s recent success, there’s urgency for the team to win a championship now. The Yankees aren’t the youngest team in the game, with Judge, Goldschmidt and Giancarlo Stanton all at least 33 or older. All three players are still capable of excellence, but are firmly outside their peaks.

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Goldschmidt could also walk in the offseason, as could Bellinger, who will almost certainly decline his player option to seek a long-term deal on the market.

Both Fried and Rodón have lengthy injury histories, making it even more important for the Yankees to capitalize after both players remained healthy in 2025.

Though his tenure at the helm has mostly been successful, manager Aaron Boone could find himself out of a job if the Yankees once again fall in the playoffs. Boone has been with the club since 2018, making the playoffs in all but one season. While Boone has a strong track record, the team’s inability to win it all has been a sore spot. A disappointing playoff performance in 2025 could be the end of Boone’s time with the franchise.

But those are issues for the future Yankees. In order to win the World Series, you need to reach the playoffs. With that first step complete, the Yankees can now focus on overcoming last year’s disappointment and finishing the year back on top.