It’s mid-April and, per usual, Yankees fans are panicking about the Bronx Bombers’ bats.
Why shouldn’t they? New York lost two of three to the lowly Orioles over the weekend. Even worse, the Orioles outscored the Yankees 9-6 over three games. The Birds are tanking (again), so how could Aaron Boone let this happen?
Sound the alarm indeed, right?
Wrong.
Look, we get it. The Yankees have frustratingly underachieved the last couple of years, and 2022 was supposed to be different. Brand new team, brand new attitude, a real shot at the World Series.
Instead, the Bronx Bombers are 5-5 and sit tied for third place in the American League East, a game behind the Blue Jays.
As in, the same Blue Jays who only managed a series split in the Bronx last week and were shut out not once but twice by Yankees pitchers. How about that supposed best offense in baseball?
But still, Yankees fans insist on being miserable and insist the season is already over and the AL East lost. Take one gander at Yankees Twitter, and you’ll see nothing but a well of despair.
THIS is what I would do @Yankees for the upcoming week.
First fire Boone and Rojas.
Get their stink out of the locker. (respectfully).
Then I will make you the lineup for the week.
— Coach Jimmy Randazzo (@JimmyRandazzo) April 17, 2022
Fire aaron Boone. Send Aaron hicks to the moon. Lineup a complete joke. Fire cashman
— Stanton Is A Fraud (@FraudStanton) April 17, 2022
Aaron Judge is gonna walk. Who in their right mind would want to be on this offense?
— Yanks Yak (@YanksYak) April 17, 2022
First things first, we can be frustrated with the Yankees while still being rational. The lineup still managed strong at-bats and continued to take much cleaner swings compared to last season. Also, keep in mind, New York was also 5-5 through its first ten games in 2021.
Except, the Yankees already experienced a three-game losing streak ten games into their 2021 season. This year’s squad has lost two in a row once, but after winning its first two games. Since then, they have played exactly .500 ball. A win followed by a loss.
Last year’s New York Yankees averaged 4.1 runs per game through their first ten. This year’s, in fairness, have only averaged an even three. Thankfully, the Yankees’ pitching has been practically lights-out to the point where Gerrit Cole, believe it or not, is currently the weakest link.
Think hard on this, fans. Even with some recent bad losses, the Yankees still won a series from a rival Red Sox team that reached Game 6 of last year’s ALCS. Not to mention, they reloaded and signed a big free agent in Trevor Story.
Furthermore, both losses in the Toronto series can be blamed on ill-timed home runs, three of which just happened to come from Guerrero. Even Cole, who surrendered two of them, tipped his cap to the better man. Sometimes, one side just has more momentum. That’s baseball, Suzyn.
There’s still plenty of time for the Yankees to right the ship. The team looked too good in spring training and earlier this season to not at least contend for the playoffs. Better for these bad losses to happen in April as opposed to in August, when losing the groove could prove disastrous.
