The Yankees enter October with perhaps their best shot at the World Series in years.

The bullpen is the perceived shortcoming, and while one scout says their bullpen is “a mess,” it has been doing pretty well lately.

While the closest spot appears to be undecided, Tommy Kahnle has not allowed a run in six games, Luke Weaver, Tim Hill and Jake Cousins ​​have allowed five games, and Ian Hamilton has allowed four. (Incidentally, Hill, Cousins ​​and Hamilton all escaped the White Sox.)

While the Yankees were without Jack Flaherty (5-2, 3.25 with the Dodgers, third in MLB in strikeout-to-walk ratio to Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal) after medical records revealed a suspected lower back issue, they need him with six fewer viable starters than L.A.

Ironically, Flaherty is the Dodgers’ healthiest rotation star. Of the Dodgers’ numerous rotation injuries, one scout says, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Many AL teams are also suffering/struggling, including the Orioles. The losses of Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez (possibly back for the playoffs) are deadly.

Currently, the Astros are once again the Yankees’ biggest obstacle.

Give the young Tigers kudos for giving themselves a chance.

Some may wonder why Flaherty wasn’t traded, but the Tigers did get an underrated quid pro quo in return: catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and prized shortstop Trey Sweeney, originally a Yankee.

The Yankees recovered well from the Flaherty miss and instead used Augustin Ramirez, the potential catcher discussed there, as the key player to land Jazz Chisholm.

Sweeney is one of an impressive 15 players signed by the Yankees as amateurs and making their debuts this year (13 via the draft, two internationally).