In a division that contains so much uncertainty from top to bottom, the New York Yankees have the personnel and formula to come out on top.
The overall performance of the New York Yankees thus far in 2016 has left fans scratching their heads, jumping for joy, or anywhere in between.
However, the same has been the case with just about every team in their once prominent division. An AL East that used to produce champions rather than first round exits has had an output of mediocrity as opposed to prowess in recent years.
With that said, the door is left wide open for anyone to seize a path to the division crown. While early results have shown the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox to be top dogs in the division, no true signs have indicated that the tide will not shift.
There lie the Yankees. A team that remains inconsistent but maintains the pieces in place to make the playoffs by way of the division title. The notion may not provide clarity at the moment, but by comparison it will.
Of course a long road lies ahead, but there are promising reasons to believe the Bombers will take the American League by storm in the last 99 games of the season.
Circular Lineup
With the recent surges from Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, faith has been restored that the table setters can, you know, set the table. Ellsbury has quietly been one of the top hitters on the team all year while staying on the field at a consistent rate. The catalyst has hit .284 with a .355 OBP in 56 games. In addition, Gardy has raised his average from .211 to .258 in the matter of 10 days while maintaining an impressive .374 OBP this year.
Move it to the middle of the lineup. With a vacancy supposed to be filled by Mark Teixeira, the Yankees have certainly gotten by.
Carlos Beltran has been sensational in defying all odds placed on him prior to the season. His 16 homers and 44 RBIs put him on a 41 homer, 113 RBI pace. Brian McCann has struggled with his .222 average and 26 RBIs, but that only provides hope that a torrent second half can put him at his normal rate.
However, perhaps the most encouraging factor moving forward is Alex Rodriguez. Throughout struggles and successes, the Yanks have not committed to keeping A-Rod on the field everyday, even in a designated hitter role.
With rest provided by a relative lack of playing time, there is no reason to believe A-Rod cannot bring to the table in the second half what he brought to the table in the first half last year.
Rounding out the order, the Yanks continue to prove strong. Chase Headley has turned around his season by hitting .297 in his last 30 games, Starlin Castro has been an extremely worthy pickup with a productive bat, and Didi Gregorius remains steady with an average hovering around .270.
Barring a few factors spinning in the right direction, the Yankees can easily have the second best lineup in the AL East to only the Baltimore Orioles when it is all said and done.
Improved Starting Staff
Most can agree that the starting rotation of the Yankees has largely over-performed thus far in 2016. A question mark rode over each and every pitcher heading into 2016 with the exception of Luis Severino. Ironically enough, Severino is one that has faltered the most to the point where he is in Scranton.
Nevertheless, the question marks have been answered. Masahiro Tanaka has been as consistent as they come and he is showing no signs of a tail-off.
CC Sabathia has been so shocking and sensational that he is not only outperforming his 2016 expectations, but he is outdoing every single season he has ever pitched.
Nathan Eovaldi has been steady with a few blips along the way yet maintains the best record on the staff. The flame thrower is now 20-5 since putting on pinstripes at the start of last year.
Ivan Nova’s conversion from a long reliever back to a starter has not been regretted, and Michael Pineda has completely changed the outlook of his campaign with his last three starts.
The Yankees can certainly be in contention with their current starting pitching, but can take the next step with a deadline move. The acquisition of a quality arm at the trade deadline will only solidify their chances for a division crown. An underrated starting five can only take a step up from this point forward.
Joe Girardi
When you think of the New York Yankees and why they were able to remotely contend these past three years (2013-2015), their skipper has to come to mind.
In his ninth year in the Bronx, Girardi has been an extreme subject of scrutiny with fans regardless of the team’s overall performance.
A former big league catcher, Girardi’s distinguished ability to manage a bullpen through mixing and matching based on trends and previous outcomes has become a trade mark of his that widely works throughout the game. He also is a manager that will always defend his players and give older players the proper rest.
Whenever doubting this ability, look at Derek Jeter’s farewell tour in 2014 and how smoothly everything panned out. The fact that 145 games were extracted from a guy who played 17 games the year prior were remarkable. To make it sound even better, he did it under the pressure of not letting a legend dwindle before everyone’s eyes.
One thing you can bet on is Girardi having the likes of Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, and Alex Rodriguez fresh and ready to go for the stretch run this year. In addition, you can bet on the bullpen being as fresh as ripe fruit come September.
Stolen Wins
This factor has already been witnessed by every single Yankee fan. The Bombers have a characteristic that no other team truly has this year. They have the ability to win games that they should not necessarily win.
With the three-headed monster, or insurance policy in true words, looming at the back end of the bullpen, games can essentially be locked up simply by leading after six innings.
Take May 29 in Tampa Bay as a direct example of what has transpired and what will continue to transpire. The Yanks were in a tight rubber game with the Rays and desperately wanted to get out of St. Petersburg with a series win. They were being no-hit until Starlin Castro drove a pitch over the left-center field wall for a two-run shot to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh.
At that very point, the Yankees were on the verge of committing theft. They proceeded to unleash Dellin Betances in the seventh, Andrew Miller in the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. The trio combined to strike out seven of the nine batters faced in a perfect three innings.
The Yankees had no business coming out victorious in that game and series in Tampa. They got one hit, and still found a way to steal a win.
Those are the type of victories that will pile up and help separate Joe Girardi’s team from the rest of the pack when the finish line nears. No other team in the AL East or the rest of the league for that matter contain the insurance policy at the end of games that the Yankees harness.
Thrilling September
The overall win count should be the least of the Yankees’ concerns. Based on their current record (31-32), they would need to go a superb 59-30 the rest of the way in order to finish with 90 wins.
However, it is unlikely 90 wins will be needed to earn a playoff spot and just as unlikely that amount of victories is needed for the division title. The Yanks will play 30 games in the month of September into early October. 27 of those games will be against AL East opponents. Seven of those match-ups will be against Boston and six will be against Baltimore. To top it off, their final six games of the season are against the Red Sox and Orioles, respectively, at Yankee Stadium.
Their record in the AL East (10-17) has not helped them so far, but if they want the division it will be right there for the taking. Taking any trade deadline moves or shifts in production throughout the roster into account, New York can potentially be a much stronger and developed club entering the season’s final month.
If the Yanks simply win series and take the AL East showdowns game by game, they will find themselves out of a situation where their season has to come down to one game.
For well-defined reasons, there should be a mutual belief in Yankee land that the American League East will be theirs. Despite doubts, concerns, and pure ignorance that rode over the team, no one should be shocked if the New York Yankees are the ones spraying champagne on one another come late September.
Son, you are delusional.