Yankees: Hey you, stop acting like this is 1998

Wow, but kind-of expected is the best way to describe this run the now and finally first-place New York Yankees are on.

After beating the Boston Red Sox for a second night in a row, and knocking Boston out of the AL East top spot, the Yanks are right where they were predicted to be.

The team is currently 26-10, having won 17 of their last 18 games against the best teams in baseball in the Astros, Indians, Angels and Red Sox.

You would be hard pressed to find any Yanks fan who is not having déjà vu back to the 1998 Bombers, who arguably put together one of the greatest seasons ever, finishing 114-48. Some are even claiming that this 2018 club could be even better, and looking at the very similar stats I can see their point.

After 36-games played, the 1998 team was 27-9, scored 221 runs and allowed just 163. That is almost identical to the current club’s record and the 209 runs scored and 143 given up. Both teams were 7-2 in one-run wins, and the Red Sox are trailing right behind both seasons in a close second.

Still, I thoughtfully have to disagree that this 2018 team will nor could ever be as good because in reality the current competition doesn’t hold a candle to that of the late-nineties. As the good teams, who actually have a real chance to get to the postseason seem few and far between these days.

On May 10, 1998, the Yankees were not the best team yet. Also the NL was actually legitimate; plus the divide between a good and bad team was not as obvious as it has become.

The bottom line here is that everybody loves to win, and as a Yankees fan I love having a super-team, but as a baseball fan, not so much.

I fully realize that this season is just ending it’s first-quarter, and that there are 126-games to play, but forgoing the unpredictable elements, (injuries, etc.) except for Boston and Houston what other teams are going to compete? The Dodgers are out; the Angels are good but they have the Babe Ruth of Japan to make up for it; and the NL is getting worse by the day.

So please, someone tell me how this season feels like 1998?

Yanks were great then and are right now, but baseball overall is not and that bums me out.