These Yankees pose a scary threat for a deep October run

Nobody seemed to understand exactly why the Yankees stood only one victory away from a playoff spot before Tuesday night’s game against the White Sox. The math was complicated enough that MLB had to sort through all the wild-card permutations before letting the team officially know a day earlier, something to do with so many contenders playing head-to-head during this final week.

This we do know, however. After yet another tumultuous season debating the merits of Brian Cashman’s team-building, Aaron Boone’s managerial ability and the fundamental flaws of this $320 million roster, the defending AL champs have to be considered as dangerous a deep October threat as anyone still alive in the derby — if not more so.

The Blue Jays should be worried, too, because the Yankees could be standing a