Amidst injuries, the Yankees offense rots from the head down

First and foremost, stop worrying about the New York Yankees getting four-game swept by the Boston Red Sox. In fact, let’s let manager Aaron Boone’s postgame comments from Sunday night do the real talking:

Now is when we play the hits about why the New York Yankees, despite wrapping up what’s been a fairly average June—they’re 12-12 going into Monday’s home tilt with the Tigers—shouldn’t hit the panic button.

They were fourth in the division and 14 games back from the Boston Red Sox in 1978, and still went on to win their second consecutive World Series.

The 1996 World Series championship team played sub-.500 baseball in August of that season.

Not too long ago, in 2024, the Yankees famously entered the All-Star Break in the midst of a 9-18 midsummer slog. Something that has become all too familiar, regular, and typical of the Aaron Boone Era. Every summer, almost like clockwork, the New York Yankees simply vanish at the plate.

The meager results are often for a variety of reasons, usually health-related. This year, reigning MVP and team captain Aaron Judge has been out a month, recovering from a stress fracture in his ribs. Former MVP and fellow home run masher Giancarlo Stanton re-injured his calf during rehab. Neither one has a timetable for a return.

However, there is often another culprit. When star players like Judge go down, someone else at the top of the order needs to make up the ground. The top third sets the pace for the game, gets guys on base, gets the big hits. When none of that is happening, the Yankees drive more like a Ferrari with a Toyota engine.

So, who have the Yankees needed to literally step up to bat and lead since Judge last played on May 31? Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and ideally Jazz Chisholm Jr. Three often reliable lefty bats who, in turn, can often change games with one swing. Trent Grisham too, at least before he hit the IL with a bum hamstring.

Rice is 2 for his last 27, batting .202 in June, and is currently the worst-fielding first baseman in baseball.

Bellinger has stumbled his way to batting .239 in June, yet is 3 for his last 26 since posting three hits with a homer against the White Sox on June 17.

Chisholm was 1 for 10 in the Red Sox series, is batting .179 for the month, and once again avoided the media after getting himself ejected in Sunday’s game.

You know who was having a decent June for the Yankees? That would be Trent Grisham, who was batting .361 with a home run and a .981 OPS before hitting the injured list. Granted, Grisham has only hit .189 out of the leadoff spot this season, but with a strong .312 OBP.

That leaves Rice and Paul Goldschmidt splitting leadoff duties, and with mixed results. Rice only bats .224 leading off games, but also has five home runs and an .824 OPS. Goldschmidt, meanwhile, has hit an impressive .333 in the top spot with six home runs, just a slice of what’s been a solid comeback season at age 38.

Except that’s just it. Goldschmidt, even with his interesting adjustment, is still 38 years old. All of his overall metrics besides his barrel rate are down. He has overachieved his way to batting .289 with a 149 wRC+.

Add it all up, and this problem is not new to the Yankees, nor exclusive. Any team is only as good as the top third of its lineup. The Yankees’ simply is not hitting well, and not for a lack of trying. You know things are bad when Jasson Dominguez or Amed Rosario are operating out of the No. 3 spot.

And so, the Yankees have no choice but to wait. Three games with the Tigers—including a match with Tarik Skubal—precede the team’s first day off since June 15. Luckily, Grisham is expected back this week for either the Detroit series or next one with Minnesota. Maybe some home cooking will break Rice and Bellinger out of their slumps. Bellinger in particular is batting .387 at Yankee Stadium compared to .168 on the road.

And, who knows? Maybe this homestand is when Austin Wells finally gets his swing back.

The Yankees lucked out in that the rest of the American League is borderline garbage. They are one of five teams in the entire AL with a positive run differential.

But until the top of the lineup picks up the slack, don’t expect more than meager offense from these Yankees.