The New York Yankees officially clinched a 2026 MLB postseason berth on Monday night with an 8-3 comeback victory over the Minnesota Twins.

“You start back in February and the goal is to go play in October and go win a championship,” manager Aaron Boone said during an on-field interview with the YES Network. 

The Yankees’ third consecutive postseason berth and ninth in 10 years since Aaron Judge’s rookie season in 2017 became official in the eighth inning when the Tigers finished off a 6-5 win over the Jays.

After handshakes on the field, the Yankees excitedly headed to the visiting clubhouse to whoop it up by soaking everyone with champagne and beer.

“I feel like we’re in a good place, but we’ve got to keep playing well,” Boone said. We’ve just got to continue to take care of our business.”

The New York Jets scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the game and never trailed en route to a 23-10 road win over the Tennessee Titans. 

Geno Smith waited 3,612 days for another start in a Jets uniform. He made it worth the wait.

Smith completed 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards, providing the steady  hand the Jets (1-0) envisioned in a dominant 23-10 season-opening victory over the Tennessee Titans (0-1) at Nissan Stadium.

After a cautious first half in which Smith passed for just 90 yards, the Jets opened up the passing game after halftime. That helped set up a Breece Hall touchdown run.

Smith, who led the NFL in interceptions last season, was decisive and careful with the football. The Jets’ offensive line also gave him enough time in the pocket to find open receivers.

Hall was another catalyst for the Jets’ offense, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He looked very much like the player who recorded his first 1,000-yard season last year. The Jets finished with 152 rushing yards against the Titans.

The New York Yankees have some genuinely encouraging news regarding their captain. Yankees general manager and senior vice president Brian Cashman appeared on the MLB Network on SiriusXM Radio and provided an important update on Aaron Judge’s recovery.

After what has felt like an endless wait for positive developments, Judge has now cleared another major hurdle. It is the first good news for the captain since he went on the Injured List.

Judge has been cleared to resume activities now that his injury has healed enough to allow him to begin ramping up his workload.

This represents the first major step in what will be a gradual recovery process. The Yankees aren’t going to rush their superstar back onto the field, particularly after he has already missed nearly two months.

Cashman also revealed that Judge believes he will return this season, and the medical staff shares that belief.

For the first time in nearly two months, Yankees fans have a legitimate reason to feel optimistic about their captain.

Judge believes he’ll be back. The doctors believe he’ll be back. And now, the recovery process is finally moving forward.