New York Yankees: Issues with Runners in Scoring Position

Despite being 30 games over .500, the New York Yankees have some holes that they need to fix in order to have a chance at surpassing the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.  One of those holes involves how poorly they have hit as a team with the bases loaded and with runners in scoring position in general.

The New York Yankees went from July 11th through August 1st without a hit while the bases were loaded.  The July 11th hit came in Baltimore when Greg Bird hit a grand slam.  The August 1st hit came in New York against the Orioles when Miguel Andujar singled in a run.

During that stretch, the Yankees put together a 9-7 record.  Although 2 games above .500 through 16 games is not terrible, the Boston Red Sox went 11-5 in that same timeframe.  As the Bronx Bombers are now 5.5 games behind the Sox in the American League East, the two games lost during this stretch could loom large at the end of the season.

According to baseball-reference, the Yankees hit .249 with runners in scoring position as a team.  Conversely, the Red Sox hit .279 with runners in scoring position as a team.

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Through 105 games, the Yankees have compiled 1060 plate appearances with RISP.  They have 363 runs scored off of 217 hits.  They also hold a .339 on-base percentage and a .432 slugging percentage in these situations.

On the other hand, through 108 games, the Red Sox have compiled 1161 plate appearances with RISP.  They have 425 runs scored off of 272 hits.  They also hold a .368 OBP and a .490 SLG.

Coincidentally, Boston and New York have the same exact number of plate appearances with the bases loaded this season at 119.  In those appearances, the Yankees hold a meager .223 batting average while the Red Sox hold an incredible .330 batting average.  The Yankees hitters also have a .277 OBP compared to the .361 OBP by Red Sox hitters in these spots.

As the Yankees need every win they can get to keep up with the Red Sox, their ability to cash in with runners in scoring position has to improve.  Boston is currently 41 games over .500 and their hitting in these crucial moments throughout games is a large reason as to why they hold a 5.5 game lead over New York in the AL East.