October’s unanswered questions are already gathering around the clubhouse door: which wild-card club has the pitching, depth and nerve to make a real run, and how much trouble the Yankees would face if Aaron Judge were unavailable.
Those are the pressure points drawing attention as the postseason picture comes into view. The wild-card field can produce a champion, but the Yankees’ outlook without their star slugger remains one of the biggest questions hanging over October.
There is no single formula for a deep postseason run. The teams that separate themselves will be the ones that handle the small moments, stay whole when the roster is tested and find enough offense when the games tighten up.
