Girardi on surging Yankees: 'I believe in these guys'

Joe Girardi isn't saying the word "playoffs" - but it sure sounds like he's thinking it.

The New York Yankees manager may have no choice but to shift his thinking away from rebuilding after what his young club has done since the trade deadline. Saturday's 13-5 win over Baltimore left the Yankees just 2 1/2 games back of the free-falling Orioles for the second wild-card berth, and only 5 1/2 games back of first place.

"I believe in these guys. I think our young kids have done a pretty good job," Girardi told reporters, including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Saturday.

That's a major change of tone from the skipper since his team's Aug. 1 fire sale, when they went into a supposed rebuild mode and dealt high-priced veterans Carlos Beltran, Andrew Miller, Ivan Nova, and Aroldis Chapman for prospects, while also cutting ties with Alex Rodriguez. Those moves, along with a season-ending injury to Nathan Eovaldi, were supposed to sink the Yankees down the stretch; instead, the so-called "Baby Bombers" have surged to a .625 winning percentage in August (entering play Sunday) that's better than every AL team except the Royals.

BABY BOMBERS: YANKEES' SUCCESS IN AUGUST

Much of the success is due to the red-hot Gary Sanchez and his record-breaking start that's made him an instant star in New York, but he's far from the only reason the Yankees are winning. Young starters Luis Cessa and Chad Green have put together several solid outings over the past month, while unheralded pieces Ronald Torreyes (1.141 OPS) and Aaron Hicks (4 HR, .347 OBP) are among several players who have quietly had solid months at the plate.

Related: Could Gary Sanchez win AL Rookie of the Year?

Though the "P"-word hasn't been uttered by the team yet, it's clear some are starting to think about what would easily be the most shocking October appearance in Yankees franchise history if this team - that had been left for dead - managed to pull it off. But maybe the only person who wouldn't be shocked would be Girardi himself, who left a hint that he may not have ever given up on his team.

"I told you, we were here to win games," Girardi said. "I really liked some of the things that we did, bringing up some of the young kids. I thought they could help us. I know obviously we traded away our leading RBI and home run guy, and two really good relievers, but I still felt there was enough talent in that room to win. We need to continue to do it.

"I believe we can."