Biggest plays in New York Yankees history
Major League Baseball history is built on moments — swings, pitches, and split-second plays that reshaped seasons and, in some cases, entire franchises. From walk-off home runs in winner-take-all games to clutch hits under October pressure, the biggest plays often came when the stakes were highest. Stacker identified the most impactful plays in New York Yankees history using data from Stathead. Plays were ranked by their Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA), a metric that measures how much a single play changed a team's odds of winning the World Series.
#10. October 13, 1960 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: down 9-7 (9th inning, 1 out)
- Opponent: PIT
- Event: 1B
- Play Description: Single to RF (Line Drive to Short CF-RF); B. Richardson Scores; D. Long to 3B
- cWPA: 21.38%
#9. October 05, 1952 (WS Gm 5)
- Score: down 4-2 (5th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: LAD
- Event: HR
- Play Description: Home Run (Fly Ball to Deep RF); G. McDougald Scores; P. Rizzuto Scores
- cWPA: 21.47%
#8. November 04, 2001 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: tied 1-1 (8th inning, 0 outs)
- Opponent: ARI
- Event: HR
- Play Description: Home Run
- cWPA: 23.12%
#7. October 16, 1962 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: down 1-0 (9th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: SFG
- Event: Out
- Play Description: *ENDED GAME*:Lineout: 2B
- cWPA: 24.13%
#6. November 01, 2001 (WS Gm 5)
- Score: down 2-0 (9th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: ARI
- Event: HR
- Play Description: Home Run; J. Posada Scores
- cWPA: 24.19%
#5. October 12, 1964 (WS Gm 5)
- Score: down 2-0 (9th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: STL
- Event: HR
- Play Description: Home Run (Fly Ball to Deep CF-RF); M. Mantle Scores (Unearned run); T. Tresh Scores (Unearned run)
- cWPA: 24.29%
#4. October 05, 1941 (WS Gm 4)
- Score: down 4-3 (9th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: LAD
- Event: 2B
- Play Description: Double to RF (Fly Ball); T. Henrich Scores (Unearned run); J. DiMaggio Scores (Unearned run)
- cWPA: 25.08%
#3. October 09, 1958 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: tied 2-2 (8th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: ATL
- Event: 1B
- Play Description: Single to CF (Ground Ball); Y. Berra Scores
- cWPA: 26.27%
#2. October 15, 1923 (WS Gm 6)
- Score: down 4-3 (8th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: SFG
- Event: 1B
- Play Description: Single to CF (Ground Ball thru SS-2B); H. Haines Scores; E. Johnson Scores; J. Dugan Scores (Advanced on throw) on E8 (throw to 3B)/No RBI (Unearned run); B. Meusel to 3B
- cWPA: 26.85%
#1. October 13, 1960 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: down 4-2 (6th inning, 1 out)
- Opponent: PIT
- Event: HR
- Play Description: Home Run (Fly Ball to Deep RF Line); T. Kubek Scores; M. Mantle Scores
- cWPA: 34.32%
