What happened: New York has spent stretches of the season without Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, including a Red Sox matchup in which the club's familiar pillars were absent. That pushes more of the nightly burden onto the rest of the roster.

Why it matters: That matters because the Yankees are being judged less on star power and more on whether their depth can hold up when the old center of gravity is unavailable. It also puts sharper focus on Aaron Boone and the roster's longer-term shape.

What to watch: The next test is immediate, with the scheduled game starting at New York Yankees 0 and Tampa Bay Rays 0 and another chance for the supporting cast to carry the load.