A year ago at this time, the Yankees were 34-15 and 5 ½ games up in the AL East,  on their way to a historically good first half in which they eventually built a 15 ½-game lead in the division and a 61-23 record.

The 2023 version of the Yankees couldn’t find its footing for the first month-plus of the season, falling a whopping 10 games behind the Rays in the AL East and hovering just above .500 until recently.

But it’s possible this team could end up being better than the one from 2022.

If you remember, comparisons to the 1998 Yankees were out in full force last season, and it appeared the club was ready to cruise into the playoffs and a deep October run.