The New York Yankees are at a crossroads this season. They desperately need to win every game they possibly can over the next few weeks as they look to pull themselves back into contention before the trade deadline. Otherwise, they may simply be too far out of the playoff picture to make a comeback, leading to the unexpected result of becoming sellers.
As such, they cannot afford to give away games. But that is exactly what happened this weekend, as Aroldis Chapman picked the worst possible time to implode.
New York Yankees need Aroldis Chapman to return to form
The Yankees All Star closer has not even been close to his usual self over his past couple of outings. Seven of the eight batters he has faced have reached, as he has issued four walks, hit a batter, and allowed two homers. That one out he was able to record came via strikeout.
Chapman had put together a reasonably decent season heading into Sunday. He had posted a 3.77 ERA and a 1.360 WHiP in his 28.2 innings, striking out 49 batters with 19 walks, notching 16 saves. However, as respectable as it had been, that performance is not nearly what the Yankees had come to expect from their closer.
The Yankees also do not have many options for the ninth inning. Zack Britton, who would presumably take over the closer role if something happened to Chapman, is on the Injured List. Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Green have each notched two saves on the year, but neither have a track record of success when it comes to closing out games.
For better or for worse, the ninth inning will remain Chapman’s for the foreseeable future. The Yankees have to hope that his recent implosion will come to an end soon, and that those two games they lost will not bite them down the stretch. However, those were two games that the Yankees desperately needed as they look to get back into the playoff picture.
The New York Yankees need to win every game they possibly can this month. They cannot afford for Aroldis Chapman to struggle much longer.