This rising young team could ruin Yankees' home field advantage quest - NJ.com

The biggest Yankees advantage is about to disappear. With head-to-head battles with the Baltimore Orioles over after this week, two things are about to change in a big way: Gleyber Torres’ slugging percentage and the Yankees chances at capturing home field advantage in the American League.

That’s not to say that Torres can’t rake against other teams or continue to hit like one of the brightest young stars in the sport. It’s also not to say the Yankees can’t keep winning. But both will be difficult.

When looking at the Yankees schedule, one challenge stands out moving forward: The suddenly pesky Toronto Blue Jays. With six head-to-head games remaining, the Yankees need to treat Toronto (51-72 entering play on August 14) as their new Orioles.

The only problem: Toronto has been better (16-15) in the second half. Part of the reason for that improvement: A slew of young players (Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Sean Reid-Foley that are contributing in a big way.

In a race that could come down to a game or two, the Yankees taking, say, three of six instead of five of six from Toronto in September could change everything.

FiveThirtyEight projects the Yankees to finish at 105-57. That would put New York one game behind Houston’s projected 106-56 record. With so many games to go, one game may seem minor, but the switch from beating up on Baltimore to taking on Toronto will matter.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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