It’s safe to say the weaknesses of the New York Yankees have been exposed this week, but there’s still plenty to be positive about.
By Christian Kouroupakis
Last week, the offense disastrously went 4-for-57 with runners in scoring position, left 52 runners on base, and have four games out of the six games played.
Alex Rodriguez even saw his average dwindle to .100 after going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts on Saturday to inadvertently cause mass panic across the Yankees’ fan base.
If this was a football team, being concerned is perfectly acceptable. But this is baseball. Teams, players, and fans have their fair share of ups and downs and that is just part of the game.
A team can kickoff the season playing .500 ball in the first month but can still end up hoisting the commissioner’s trophy in October (FYI: the 2009 World Champion Yankees started 14-16).
One game, week, or stretch doesn’t make or break a baseball team especially in April.
If you’re one of those fans who want to throw in the towel and call this season a lost cause, here are reasons why you should avoid hitting that panic button and remain optimistic about the 2016 New York Yankees.
The Best Is Yet To Come
How amazing has this bullpen been?
Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller have been authoritative as usual as they have struck out 27 of the 41 batters they have faced thus far.
In seven of their 11 combined appearances, Betances or Miller have struck out the side.
I didn’t even mention that this is only two-thirds of the famous “three-headed monster.” On May 9th, Aroldis Chapman’s 30-game suspension for his involvement in a domestic violence incident will be completed.
The closer who led all of baseball with 15.74 strikeouts-per-nine innings in 2015 will make his way into the already dominant bullpen.
With guys like Johnny Barbato (6 IP, 9 SO, 0 ER) and Chasen Shreve (4.1 IP, 2 SO, 0 ER) doing their part, baseball’s premiere bullpen will only get better. And that should fire you up.
CC Sabathia Has Re-Invented Himself
CC Sabathia’s standard numbers don’t reflect how good the big lefty has been.
Despite his 5.06 ERA, Sabathia has finally adjusted to his decreased velocity that sat in mostly in 80’s his last time out, but he followed up his first win against the Detroit Tigers with four innings of no-run ball against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.
Manager Joe Girardi believed he had enough to win the game, and it’s hard not to agree with him. His cutter has been running in and eating up righties while his slider and changeup have been effective on lefties.
Through his first two starts of 2016, the former CY-Young award winner has proven that he’s capable of going six innings while keeping his team in the ballgame.
From a number five starter, that’s just what the Yankees need.
Hot Starts For McCann, Castro, and Beltran
These guys, who are undoubtedly key components to this Yankee team, are off to encouraging starts through the first 11 games of 2016.
Brian McCann has brought a selective approach to the plate and it has certainly paid off. According to PITCHf/x data, New York’s catcher is swinging at a mere 12.5% of pitches out of the strike zone strike zone. In comparison, his career rate is 29.2%.
His plate discipline is a huge reason why he is slashing .333/.444/.805 with two home runs in 30 at-bats.
It took two years of having a .200 hitter man the position, but it seems as though the Yankees have found their second baseman, and his name is Starlin Castro.
In 42 at bats, Castro has a .333/.378/.925 slash line with two home runs and a team-leading nine RBI.
The three-time all-star won’t be what Robinson Cano was during his tenure in the Bronx, but he’s loving New York and is coming off an appearance in the National League Championship. This kid is bringing a lot to the table.
In 18 games during last year’s opening month of baseball, Carlos Beltran went 11-for-68 with a slash line of .162/.216/.265 and he failed to hit a home run.
Despite the slow start, the Yankees stuck with him and their right fielder ended up being their most consistent hitter.
In the second half of 2015 Beltran slashed .292/.364/.513 and cranked 12 home runs while driving 37 RBI. He even won the American League Player of The Month for August after batting .353 with five home runs, 15 RBI, and a 1.067 OPS.
During the poor start for the Yankees’ offense, he’s carried that play over into this season. Beltran leads the team with a .341 batting average (min. 20 at bats) and has a team-leading three home runs.
Having hot starts for two guys that are getting up there in age and a young stud who has tapped into his potential in New York is a very promising sign for success down the road in 2016.
Opportunities
In terms of long-term offensive success, average with runners in scoring position does not matter.
As mentioned, the offense is 4-for-57 in the last six games with RISP but that should not come off as a startling statistic. Of course, it’s frustrating but think of all the chances the Bombers are getting to score in this early in the year.
They’re not only getting lots of runners on base (.333 OBP) but they’re also stealing lots of bases (they lead the MLB with 13) and getting in better position to score runs.
Slumps like this are hardly ever a 162-game long issue, and it’s more than promising to see this lineup put themselves in ideal scoring scenarios. This funk will turn around.
Competition
There is no team in the American League East that appears to be the “favorite.”
The Toronto Blue Jays have a juggernaut offense and put that on display last week, but their pitching is still shaky while their bullpen isn’t necessarily dependable. At least, not as dependable as New York’s ‘pen.
The Boston Red Sox enhanced their pitching rotation with the addition of David Price, but the rest of the staff is a question mark and certainly nothing the Yankees can’t handle.
The Baltimore Orioles have sprinted out of the gate, but their inconsistent pitching will ultimately be their downfall and I fully expect the Rays to finish at the bottom of the division.
The Yankees are far from a perfect club, but there is enough talent for this team to win the division or at least clinch one of the two Wild Card spots in October.
So, to the fans who dedicate themselves to the Yankees, take a page out of Aaron Rodgers’ playbook and just R-E-L-A-X.
It will be panic time if New York is sitting ten games under .500 in July or August, not 11 games into April.
There is plenty to love about the 2016 New York Yankees and a rough stretch that will inevitably turn around should not have you giving up on them just yet.