The winning streak may be over for the New York Yankees but take a look at what exactly transpired between the numbers.
They always say that every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Okay, Semisonic said that but in the case of the New York Yankees, the end of their eight-game winning streak equals the start of a brand new one.
That streak got underway just last night, with the Yankees trouncing the Chicago White Sox in the final game of a three-game set.
The streak of eight wins for the Yankees was impressive in that no one was expecting it. That, and the fact that the Yankees won those games in pretty dominating fashion. For a while, they looked unstoppable.
I guess the fact was that at the time, they really were. Their offense was incredible and their starting pitching got the job done, making it easy on the bullpen. Basically, everything was clicking for the Yankees and the cohesiveness was relevant in the final scores.
We all see the big picture regarding the winning streak, but what about what is going on between the numbers? Take a look at some of these impressive statistics from the Yankees early season run.
4. Runs allowed
The Yankees allowed 22 runs during this timeframe of eight games. However, the most runs they let in during a game was only four.
With the type of offense the Yankees operate with, four runs is an easy deficit to overcome. That is, if they were ever behind by that amount. The pitching and defense held their opponents to fewer runs and made the job easier for the Yankee offense.
During that time span, the Yankees also scored 49 runs, doubling the amount that they gave up to opponents. Naturally, with these stats, you can deduce that the offense and defense were working hand-in-hand perfectly.
The Yankees have gone through spans where their pitching and defense have struggled. Luckily, the Yankees seemed to figure out the benefit of allowing fewer runs. And that paid off immensely in their streak.
3. Runners left on base
This stat is not a good one but it certainly is incredible. In eight games, the Yankees left 60 runners stranded on the basepaths.
With the 49 runs they did score, they could have easily had plenty more if they were able to convert with runners on base. Although it didn’t deter them from victory, it is something that could affect them down the line.
The Yankees may be experts at hitting home runs but sometimes that’s not enough. While it is great to swing for the fences, sometimes a timely double with runners on can make a bigger difference than a solo home run.
Again, it may not be a pleasant stat but it certainly is incredible. Mainly it is incredible because it is a stat that you wouldn’t even think about with their success.
2. Strikeouts
During their eight-game winning streak, the Yankees themselves struck out 64 times at the plate. Their pitchers, however, ended up striking out 78 batters total.
That means the Yankees pitchers averaged 9.75 strikeouts per game or at least one per inning. That is a good sign going forward, especially with young pitchers making their case to be the face of the future in the rotation.
The difference between strikeouts for and strikeouts against is another excellent sign for the Yankees. With free-swingers in the lineup, the strikeouts tend to be high. Luckily, the Yankees seem to be seeing the ball better and striking out sporadically instead of consistently.
The goal is to see fewer strikeouts when the Yankees are up to bat and more when they’re in the field. Right now, they’ve got that formula figured out.
1. Starting pitchers
Starting pitching was an uncertainty at the beginning of the season. With Masahiro Tanaka opening the season with a rough start in Tampa Bay, the assumption arose that the rotation was doomed.
However, during this winning streak, the Yankees took their weakness and turned it into a strength.
During their winning streak, Yankees starters pitched six innings or more in seven of the eight games. The one game where a starter registered fewer than six innings was rookie Jordan Montgomery’s Major League debut (4.2 innings).
.@LuisSeverino94 takes the hill tonight looking to keep the 8️⃣-game winning streak alive for the @Yankees.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/fBs88Kv6Ij
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 18, 2017
The first week of the season was full of complaints as to the longevity of the starters. This winning streak put that complaint to rest, as each starter put in their own brand of impressive performances.
In fact, some starters even made it through seven innings before handing the ball to the dominant bullpen.
Even if they have that dominance in the later innings, they still need strong showings from their starters. They got just last during this winning streak.
So, the eight-game winning streak is over but a brand new one has just begun. If we continue seeing these stellar stats, the Yankees should have no problem making a run for the playoffs.
Or, dare we say, potentially the Fall Classic?
Time will tell. Right now, we’re all enjoying the ride.
