Since the All-Star break, the New York Yankees are 10-19 and have the worst record in the MLB for the second half of the season.
A question that has been rumbling around the league is what happened to the Yankees? They have yet to win a series since the weekend of July 29-31, right around the trade deadline. After the All-Star break, the Yankees came out of the gates cold and are having issues getting back on track. They lost the best record in all of baseball and let the Houston Astros take control of the best record in the American League.
Many Yankee fans are saying the Yanks are cruising to the playoffs, but everyone that knows the sport of baseball knows it’s not like flicking a light switch, you can’t turn it on and off.
Can the New York Yankees turn it around?
That is a great question and as of now, I am going to say no. The Yankees are not built for the long run. Their lineup is filled with too many non-contact hitters. They will win enough games to lock up the American League East but will be embarrassed in the playoffs.
At the start of the season, I was concerned about their starting pitching, but that has been the glue for this team. It is hard to justify watching the Yankees play. For all Yankee fans out there, please tell me why Aaron Hicks is in the lineup almost every day. This year, Hicks has 309 at-bats with only 32 RBI and has a batting average of .217. Hicks has been pathetic all year long and he is one of many reasons why the Yankees are collapsing.
New York Yankees need some young blood
With the Yankees sliding in the wrong direction, it is time for management to bring up their young talent. With that being said, the Yankees finally promoted Oswaldo Cabrera and Estevan Florial from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees had lost 11 of their 13 games when they called up Cabrera and Florial, putting both immediately into the lineup, with Cabrera at third base and Florial in center field.
As you get into the dog days of summer, sometimes a little shake-up is exactly what the Yankees need. Florial will fill a need in center field due to Aaron Hicks’ extended struggles. Also, Cabrera can provide defensive versatility and play all around the field. He has been on a tear since missing two months earlier this season with a shoulder injury. In his last 25 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Cabrera was batting .330 with seven home runs, eight steals, and a 1.040 OPS. In time, the young blood will help turn things around for the Yanks.
New York Yankees need to get healthy
As of late, the Yanks have been hit with the injury bug. Since Clay Holmes went to the IL, the Yankees’ closer position has been a mystery. Yankees are hoping for their all-star slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, to get back in the lineup and provide some firepower. It doesn’t help that their whole lineup is in a slump, but a veteran like Stanton can put the Yankees back on track.
Right now, the Yankees have an eight game lead in the American League East and they are doing everything in their power to blow that lead. If the Yankees don’t turn things around, look for Boone and Cashman to get fired at the end of the season. The month of August couldn’t end soon enough for the Yanks, it is one they will need to forget quickly. If the Yankees don’t turn it around, the organization should be extremely concerned about their World Series chances.
It is do or die time for the New York Yankees, either fix their issues or watch their title chances slip away.