Stephen A. Smith calls for change after Yankees' ALDS sweep by Rays
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 8, 2026, 6:51 PM
Last updated Oct 8, 2026
Stephen A. Smith criticized the New York Yankees' organization following their ALDS sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays, completed on October 7. This defeat marks 17 consecutive seasons without a World Series title for the Yankees. Despite a strong start in the Wild Card Series, the Yankees failed to lead in any of the 27 ALDS innings against the Rays. Smith's suggestions for change came after the Yankees lost 4-3 in Game 3, with a notable overturned home run call impacting the game. The Rays advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2020, leaving the Yankees to address their playoff shortcomings during the offseason.
- •Yankees eliminated from playoffs after losing 4-3 to Rays in Game 3.
- •Team has not won a World Series since 2009.
- •Smith called for change without explicitly demanding Boone's dismissal.
- •Rays advance to their first ALCS since 2020.
- •Yankees' championship drought ties longest in franchise history.
- 6:51 PMYahoo Sports — Stephen A. Smith calls for ‘change’ after Yankees’ latest playoff failure
"Stephen A. Smith called for change within the New York Yankees organization Thursday after the Tampa Bay Rays completed an ALDS sweep Wednesday night. The latest Yankees playoff failure extended the franchise’s World Series championship drought to 17 seasons. First Take took to X, formerly Twitter, Thursday with a segment of Smith reacting to the […] The post Stephen A. Smith calls for ‘change’ after Yankees’ latest playoff failure appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
MLB•Oct 8, 2026, 7:21 PMThe Real Reason Anthony Volpe’s Game-Tie Shot Was Called Dead
MLB•Oct 8, 2026, 6:52 PMMLB’s new proposal includes wild playoff change Dodgers would absolutely love- MLB•Oct 8, 2026, 6:44 PMPhillies get Luis Arraez free agent prediction that proves they lost Giants trade
MLB•Oct 8, 2026, 5:41 PM5 biggest questions Yankees are facing during 2026-27 MLB offseason
MLB•Oct 8, 2026, 5:32 PMYankees’ Aaron Judge defends Aaron Boone, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. is very salty about situation
MLB•Oct 8, 2026, 4:46 PMEx-Braves veteran says Ronald Acuna Jr. 'handcuffed' Atlanta in Game 3 loss vs. Dodgers
