NEW YORK - If momentum carries any weight heading into the post-season, the defending World Series champions might actually be grateful their last two series are road tests again divisional foes Toronto and Boston. Having stumbled most of September, including their final homestand against Tampa Bay and the Red Sox, the Yankees will get no rest on the intensity meter in the regular season’s remaining days with meaningful games to the very end as the Rays host Baltimore and visit Kansas City.

“Everybody is dangerous weather,” said outfielder Nick Swisher, who’s improvement on defense has been one of the catalysts for the Yankees success this season. “You always got an X on your back, but I like that.”

Added Joba Chamberlain: “You look at teams that clinched early and got two weeks off and didn’t have any momentum going into the post-season. I like to just keep going (with my normal routine).”

The Yankees have depth offensively with the usual suspects of MVP candidate Robinson Cano, slugger Alex Rodriguez and four power switch-hitters in Swisher, Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada and Lance Berkman.

But since rolling off eight wins in a row in late August and early September, the Yankees have appeared weak and feeble, having dropped 14 of 21 as of Monday night. Still, it will take a monumental collapse for the Bronx Bombers to miss out on a post-season berth.

For as much as the Yankees have struggled in the season’s final month, they were the first MLB club to win 90 games, despite uncharacteristic seasons from the likes of Jeter and others. But chances are if they’re going to advance deep in the playoffs, they’ll need to shore up their starting pitching in the final week.

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CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes have been the most reliable starters, although the Yankees moved Hughes’ scheduled Sunday start to Wednesday at Toronto to keep an eye on his pitch count. Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett appear to be less stellar and the Yankees bullpen has its holes, which brings us to the defense.

Lost in the shuffle of Cano’s MVP campaign and Sabathia’s 20-win effort has been the defensive play of the outfield combination of Swisher, Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner. New York is among the MLB leaders in outfield assists after posting the fewest in that category a year ago. Gardner and Swisher have at least 10 assists a piece, a first in the Bronx since 1975 when Roy White and the late Bobby Bonds manned the outfield.

“They’ve been tremendous – Gardy and Curtis and Swish is becoming a better outfielder every day,” Chamberlain said. “He’s worked his butt off.”

Gardner credits the Yankees coaching staff for the club’s improvement on defense.

“A lot of that (success) has to do with positioning,” said Gardner. “I’m biased, but we probably have the most prepared coaching staff in baseball.”

Gardner has also paid dividends at the plate, although hardly in categories that are front page news. Entering this past weekend’s series, he led MLB with 4.61 pitches per at bat, reaching a 3-2 count in nearly 25 percent of his plate appearances this season.

Granderson has also quietly gotten hot. The former Tiger has more than a dozen HR in his last 40 games after hitting just 10 over his first 90 games this season. Yet the long ball has not been the Yankees cure all of late and patience from New York fans has always been in limited supply.

Last Friday night, the Bronx Bombers belted six home runs against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium – and still lost. On Saturday, the boo birds were out again from the Yankee faithful as Boston clobbered New York. Come the post-season, the Yankees may need to incorporate a more National League style, which they feel they can.

“I don’t think anybody would be surprised by it,” Gardner said. “You’ve got to do the little things well, especially in the playoffs like we did last year.”

Swisher is hesistant to compare the 2009 Champion Yankees with the current bunch, but he isn’t shy about being a Yankee.

“We can play that (small ball) too. We have a versatile lineup,” Swisher said. “It’s a great thing bro when you’re a part of (the Yankees). It’s a team built on winning.”

Blue Jays fan in Toronto and Red Sox fans in Boston will be waiting for the defending champions in the season’s final weeks to prevent the Yankees from winning.

“Every game is of the utmost importance,” Gardner said. “Anytime you play better competition, it makes you better,” If we play well, we’ll be where we want to be.”

Joe Connor is a contributor to NBCSports.com and author of the online MLB ballpark tour guide, “A Fan’s Guide To The Ultimate Spring Training Experience” which is available for purchase exclusively at his Web sites: www.modernerabaseball.com and www.mrsportstravel.com.