Lineup
Yet another inconsistent factor involved with the team. One night the offense will break out for 20 hits, and then the following week they will be lucky to manage 25 hits total.
Positives and negatives all the way around describe an offense which ranks 20th in batting average, 23rd in on-base percentage, and 26th in slugging.
Bright Spots
–Jacoby Ellsbury is quietly having a bounce back year while catalyzing the offense. His .279 batting average heavily outweighs anything he did a year ago and general health has resided with the 32-year-old.
-Simply put: Carlos Beltran has been absolutely sensational. The 39-year-old wonder will head to San Diego and deservingly so. Playing in 83 of the team’s 88 games, he finished the first half with a .299 average, 19 homers, and 56 runs batted in. What does that put him on pace for? How about 35 round-trippers and 103 RBIs.
–Didi Gregorius is having his breakout season and proving that he can be a flat-out star in this league. Arguably snubbed of an All-Star appearance, he heads to the break hitting .298 with an already career-high 11 homers. At this rate he would finish with 20 homers and 75 RBIs to go along with his .796 OPS. That would be the best season by a Yankee shortstop production-wise since 2012.
Busts
–Mark Teixeira nearly carried the New York Yankees to the promise land a year ago and was one of the main reasons they were right in the thick of things. This year, he is battling with the mendoza line. A first half that featured a .193 average, 7 home runs, 20 RBIs, and an awful .588 OPS has been extremely detrimental to the offense. Not to mention the articular cartilage tear he suffered that puts the remainder of his career in jeopardy.
–Alex Rodriguez signifies the second aging bopper that has underperformed. His .220 average and eight homers kept him as a benchwarmer for nine out of the final 10 games leading into the break. The 40-year-old will enter the second half with confusion as to the role he has on the roster. Following a magnificent comeback season one year ago, A-Rod has been a sheer disappointment. 695 homers is where he will stay until he can find himself some consistent at-bats.
Grade: C
