The New York Yankees have clinched a playoff spot, securing their return to the postseason with a thrilling 2-1 victory in 10 innings against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.

The win guarantees at least a wild card berth for the Yankees, who currently boast the best record in the American League at 89-63 and lead the Baltimore Orioles by five games in the AL East with 10 games remaining.

After missing the playoffs last season, snapping a six-year streak of postseason appearances, this achievement feels even sweeter for the team. Manager Aaron Boone attributed the turnaround to better health and a renewed focus, noting, "We weren’t a great team last year, and this team has a chance to do something special."

The Yankees' resurgence has been led by AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge, who has smashed 53 home runs and racked up 136 RBIs, and star slugger Juan Soto, who hit his 40th home run and 200th career blast earlier in the series. Soto’s contributions have been vital to the Yankees’ playoff push, and both Judge and Soto are expected to play key roles in any deep postseason run.

“We came into the season to get into the postseason and give ourselves a chance to win the World Series. That’ll be step one, but we’ve got to get there first,” Judge said.

With the Orioles in a late-season slump, the Yankees now have a strong chance to clinch the AL East crown and potentially secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They’ll finish their road trip with three games in Oakland before returning to the Bronx for a crucial three-game series against Baltimore.

“Our goal is to win the division,” said Soto. “We’re going to focus on that and try to finish the season strong.”

The Yankees are aiming to end a World Series drought that dates back to 2009, and with a rejuvenated roster, they believe this could be the year they bring home their 28th championship title.