The 1998 season was the 96th season played by the New York Yankees. Widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in baseball history, the Yankees finished with a franchise record regular-season standing of 114–48. These Yankees set an American League record for wins in a season, a record that would stand until 2001, when the Seattle Mariners won 116 games in the regular season against 46 losses. It also saw Yankee David Wells pitch the 15th perfect game in baseball history. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium, in which they celebrated the stadium's 75th anniversary. Joe Torre managed the team. Two games were postponed against the Anaheim Angels on April 13 and 14 after the collapse of a 500 pound support beam. The third game of the series was rescheduled for Shea Stadium on April 15th. Later that season a 3-game series against the Angels was expanded to a 5-game series, including a double-header.

In the postseason, they swept the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series, won the American League pennant by beating the Cleveland Indians four games to two in the American League Championship Series, and swept the San Diego Padres to capture their 24th World Series. Including the playoffs, the 1998 Yankees won a total of 125 games against 50 losses, a Major League Baseball record.

Offseason transactions November 11, 1997: Charlie Hayes was traded by the New York Yankees with cash to the San Francisco Giants for Chris Singleton and Alberto Castillo (minors).Charlie Hayes Statistics Baseball-Reference.com November 12, 1997: Luis Sojo was signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. November 18, 1997: Scott Brosius was sent by the Oakland Athletics to the New York Yankees to complete an earlier deal made on November 7, 1997. The Oakland Athletics sent a player to be named later to the New York Yankees for Kenny Rogers and cash.Scott Brosius Statistics Baseball-Reference.com November 25, 1997: Dale Sveum was signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. December 10, 1997: Chili Davis signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees.Chili Davis Statistics Baseball-Reference.com January 8, 1998: Darryl Strawberry re-signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees.Darryl Strawberry Statistics Baseball-Reference.com January 15, 1998: Tim Raines re-signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees.Tim Raines Statistics Baseball-Reference.com January 26, 1998: Doug Linton was signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. February 6, 1998: Chuck Knoblauch was traded by the Minnesota Twins to the New York Yankees for Brian Buchanan, Cristian Guzmán, Eric Milton, Danny Mota, and cash.Chuck Knoblauch Statistics Baseball-Reference.com March 14, 1998: Doug Linton was released by the New York Yankees. June 2, 1998: Mark Prior was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (43rd pick) of the 1998 amateur draft, but did not sign.Mark Prior Statistics Baseball-Reference.com June 2, 1998: Drew Henson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed July 24, 1998. June 28, 1998: Ken Huckaby was signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees.Ken Huckaby Statistics Baseball-Reference.com August 3, 1998: Dale Sveum was released by the New York Yankees. September 29, 1998: Alfonso Soriano was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Japan Central).Alfonso Soriano Statistics Baseball-Reference.com

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster 1998 New York Yankees Roster Pitchers Catchers

Infielders Outfielders

Designated Hitter Manager

Coaches (First Base) (Hitting) (Bullpen) (Third Base) (Pitching) (Bench)

Game log Regular season Legend Yankees win Yankees loss Yankees tie Postponement Clinched divisionBoldYankees team member

|- style="background-color:#fbb" | 1 || April 1 || @ Angels || 1–4 || Finley (1–0) || Pettitte (0–1) || Percival (1) || Edison International Field of Anaheim || || 43,311 || 0–1 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 2 || April 2 || @ Angels || 2–10 || Hill (1–0) || Wells (0–1) || — || Edison International Field of Anaheim || || 29,899 || 0–2 |- bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 3 || @ Athletics || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); rescheduled for August 4 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 3 || April 4 || @ Athletics || 3–7 || Haynes (1–0) || Cone (0–1) || — || Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum || || 17,118 || 0–3 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 4 || April 5 || @ Athletics || 9–7 (10) || Nelson (1–0) || Mohler (0–1) || — || Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum || || 18,109 || 1–3 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 5 || April 6 || @ Mariners || 0–8 || Moyer (1–1) || Pettitte (0–2) || — || Kingdome || || 27,445 || 1–4 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 6 || April 7 || @ Mariners || 13–7 || Wells (1–1) || Bullinger (0–1) || — || Kingdome || || 28,424 || 2–4 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 7 || April 8 || @ Mariners || 4–3 || Lloyd (1–0) || Ayala (0–1) || Stanton (1) || Kingdome || || 33,922 || 3–4 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 8 || April 10 || Athletics || 17–13 || Buddie (1–0) || Dougherty (0–1) || — || Yankee Stadium || || 56,717 || 4–4 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 9 || April 11 || Athletics || 3–1 || Pettitte (1–2) || Candiotti (0–3) || Stanton (2) || Yankee Stadium || || 33,238 || 5–4 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 10 || April 12 || Athletics || 7–5 || Buddie (2–0) || Mathews (0–1) || Stanton (3) || Yankee Stadium || || 27,057 || 6–4 |- bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 13 || Angels || colspan=8| Postponed (stadium structural problems); rescheduled for August 24 |- bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 14 || Angels || colspan=8| Postponed (stadium structural problems); rescheduled for August 26 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 11 || April 15 || Angels || 6–3 || Wells (2–1) || Hill (2–1) || Nelson (1) || Shea Stadium || || 40,743 || 7–4 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 12 || April 17 || @ Tigers || 11–2 || Pettitte (2–2) || Thompson (1–3) || — || Tiger Stadium || || 12,348 || 8–4 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 13 || April 18 || @ Tigers || 8–3 || Cone (1–1) || Keagle (0–3) || — || Tiger Stadium || || 13,803 || 9–4 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 14 || April 19 || @ Tigers || 1–2 || Moehler (1–2) || Holmes (0–1) || Jones (2) || Tiger Stadium || || 12,568 || 9–5 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 15 || April 20 || @ Blue Jays || 3–2 (11) || Banks (1–0) || Risley (0–2) || Stanton (4) || SkyDome || || 26,385 || 10–5 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 16 || April 21 || @ Blue Jays || 5–3 (10) || Stanton (1–0) || Plesac (0–2) || — || SkyDome || || 27,192 || 11–5 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 17 || April 22 || @ Blue Jays || 9–1 || Pettitte (3–2) || Clemens (2–2) || — || SkyDome || || 29,164 || 12–5 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 18 || April 24 || Tigers || 8–4 || Cone (2–1) || Keagle (0–4) || — || Yankee Stadium || || 26,173 || 13–5 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 19 || April 25 || Tigers || 5–4 || Wells (3–1) || Runyan (0–1) || Rivera (1) || Yankee Stadium || || 33,196 || 14–5 |- bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || April 26 || Tigers || colspan=7| Postponed (rain); rescheduled for July 20 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 20 || April 27 || Blue Jays || 1–0 || Pettitte (4–2) || Clemens (2–3) || Rivera (2) || Yankee Stadium || || 17,863 || 15–5 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 21 || April 28 || Blue Jays || 2–5 || Williams (2–1) || Mendoza (0–1) || Myers (5) || Yankee Stadium || || 18,727 || 15–6 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 22 || April 29 || Mariners || 8–5 || Cone (3–1) || Fassero (2–1) || Rivera (3) || Yankee Stadium || || 27,949 || 16–6 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 23 || April 30 || Mariners || 9–8 (10) || Rivera (1–0) || Ayala (0–2) || — || Yankee Stadium || || 28,517 || 17–6

|- style="background-color:#cfc" | 24 || May 1 || @ Royals || 2–1 || Irabu (1–0) || Rapp (1–3) || Rivera (4) || Kauffman Stadium || || 19,002 || 18–6 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 25 || May 2 || @ Royals || 12–6 || Pettitte (5–2) || Haney (2–2) || — || Kauffman Stadium || || 22,743 || 19–6 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 26 || May 3 || @ Royals || 10–1 || Mendoza (1–1) || Belcher (1–4) || — || Kauffman Stadium || || 22,609 || 20–6 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 27 || May 5 || @ Rangers || 7–2 || Cone (4–1) || Burkett (2–4) || — || The Ballpark in Arlington || || 31,693 || 21–6 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 28 || May 6 || @ Rangers || 15–13 || Stanton (2–0) || Patterson (0–1) || Rivera (5) || The Ballpark in Arlington || || 33,274 || 22–6 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 29 || May 8 || @ Twins || 5–1 || Irabu (2–0) || Radke (3–3) || Nelson (2) || Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome || || 22,612 || 23–6 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 30 || May 9 || @ Twins || 1–8 || Morgan (1–1) || Pettitte (5–3) || — || Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome || || 20,471 || 23–7 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 31 || May 10 || @ Twins || 7–0 || Mendoza (2–1) || Milton (2–4) || — || Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome || || 12,444 || 24–7 |- bgcolor="bbbbbb" | — || May 11 || Royals || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); rescheduled for August 7 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 32 || May 12 || Royals || 3–2 || Wells (4–1) || Rusch (3–5) || Rivera (6) || Yankee Stadium || || 16,606 || 25–7 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 33 || May 13 || Rangers || 8–6 || Cone (5–1) || Helling (6–1) || Rivera (7) || Yankee Stadium || || 23,142 || 26–7 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 34 || May 14 || Rangers || 5–7 (13) || Patterson (1–1) || Banks (1–1) || Wetteland (11) || Yankee Stadium || || 20,694 || 26–8 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 35 || May 15 || Twins || 6–7 || Milton (3–4) || Pettitte (5–4) || Aguilera (8) || Yankee Stadium || || 31,272 || 26–9 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 36 || May 16 || Twins || 5–2 || Mendoza (3–1) || Tewksbury (3–6) || Rivera (8) || Yankee Stadium || || 35,137 || 27–9 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 37 || May 17 || Twins || 4–0 || Wells (5–1) || Hawkins (2–4) || — || Yankee Stadium || || 49,820 || 28–9 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 38 || May 19 || Orioles || 9–5 || Stanton (3–0) || Charlton (0–1) || — || Yankee Stadium || || 31,311 || 29–9 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 39 || May 20 || Orioles || 9–6 || Irabu (3–0) || Key (4–3) || — || Yankee Stadium || || 32,449 || 30–9 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 40 || May 21 || Orioles || 3–1 || Pettitte (6–4) || Erickson (4–5) || Rivera (9) || Yankee Stadium || || 34,588 || 31–9 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 41 || || || @ Red Sox || L 4–5 || Wakefield (6–1) || Nelson (1–1) || Gordon (18) || || 33,605 || 31–10 || L1 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 42 || || || @ Red Sox || W 12–3 || Wells (6–1) || Lowe (0–3) || — || || 33,120 || 32–10 || W1 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 43 || || || @ Red Sox || W 14–4 || Cone (6–1) || Saberhagen (5–3) || — || || 33,042 || 33–10 || W2 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 44 || May 25 || @ White Sox || 12–0 || Irabu (4–0) || Navarro (4–5) || — || Comiskey Park || || 19,812 || 34–10 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 45 || May 26 || @ White Sox || 7–5 || Nelson (2–1) || Foulke (1–1) || Rivera (10) || Comiskey Park || || 14,596 || 35–10 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 46 || May 27 || @ White Sox || 9–12 || Simas (1–1) || Nelson (2–2) || Karchner (5) || Comiskey Park || || 15,232 || 35–11 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 47 || || || Red Sox || W 8–3 || Wells (7–1) || Wakefield (6–2) || Stanton (5) || || 42,182 || 36–11 || W1 |- style="background-color:#cfc" | 48 || || || Red Sox || W 6–2 || Cone (7–1) || Lowe (0–4) || — || || 47,160 || || 37–11 || W2 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 49 || || || Red Sox || L 2–3 || Saberhagen (6–3) || Irabu (4–1) || Gordon (19) || || 55,191 || 37–12 || L1 |- style="background-color:#fbb" | 50 || || || Red Sox || L 7–13 || Martinez (6–1) || Pettitte (6–5) || — || || 55,711 || 37–13 || L2

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