The Kryptonite for these top 10 MLB teams
By Bill Felber
Kryptonite for Top 10 MLB Teams
New York Yankees (9-2)
The Yankees have the game’s best pitcher in Gerrit Cole, signed as a free agent during this past winter. In three starts Cole has been everything Yankee fans might have hoped for, including nearly a strikeout per inning.
They also have one of the most dangerous hitters in Aaron Judge, who’s batting .310 with seven home runs in 11 games. Not that he’d keep it up, but in a normal season that’s a 103-home run pace. Judge has a 1.227 OPS.
He’s actually just one of five Yankees with an OPS surpassing 1.000, the others being Luke Voit (1.012), D J LeMahieu (1.014), Giancarlo Stanton (1.028) and Gio Urshela (1.088). The team’s .831 OPS is MLB’s best by nearly 50 points.
The Yankees’ weaknesses involve rotational uncertainty beyond Cole. In pre-season estimates, the presence of Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and James Paxton appeared to reduce any such concerns to a contest as the No. 5 starter. No more.
Tanaka took a Stanton line drive off his head in summer prep and only recently returned from concussion protocol. He looked good but lasted less than three innings.
Paxton and Happ are more problematic. Both have been drilled in their collective four starts, allowing 14 earned runs in 11 innings and losing the only two games the Yankees have lost.
If those veteran left-handers don’t come around, the onus falls on talented but unproven youngsters: Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga, and possibly Luis Cessa.
The Yankees have a lot of offense. They may need it come the postseason.