New York Yankees: 2 surprises and 2 disappointments through 14 games

Fourteen games into the 2023 season, the New York Yankees sit at 8-6 and in the middle of the American League East standings through the first two weeks.

The biggest surprise in baseball just happens to be in the AL East with the Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays. Florida’s only AL team is 13-1 and showing that they are going to be a problem for not only the division, but all of MLB. What they are doing is really impressive.

As for the Yankees, they have had some surprises early in the season, along with some disappointments. Off to a two-game over .500 start, they have already dealt with injuries and are hoping to get healthy as the season goes along.

Getting healthy with players like Harrison Bader, who could soon be on a rehab assignment for a left oblique strain, and Josh Donaldson who is out with right hamstring tightness. Pitchers Carlos Rodon (left elbow strain) and Luis Severino (right lat strain) can not get back quickly enough to solidify a shaky rotation after Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortez.

Manager Aaron Boone is trying different pieces to keep his team playing winning baseball, but there are some pieces that are fitting in and helping and some pieces that are not and could be considered a concern if things don’t turn around shortly.

Let’s take a look at two surprises so far in 2023 for the New York Yankees and two disappointments.

Two Yankees disappointments: Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German

Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes Jr. have been good so far at the top of the rotation for the Yankees. However, Clarke Schmidt has been a disappointment in his three starts.

In 10.2 inning, Schmidt has allowed 16 hits, 10 earned runs, and three homers. His breakdowns look even worse. Against the Giants and Baltimore Orioles, he worked just 3.1 innings in both games which were losses for the Yankees. He gave up five hits each in both starts, with three earned runs to San Francisco and four to the Orioles. He put his team behind the eight-ball against the Indians and in a 3-0 hole before they rallied for the win on the strength of Cordero and Cabrera’s heroics last in the game.

There is no doubt that the talent is there for Schmidt, the 16th overall pick of the Yankees in the 2017 Draft. He has electric stuff, but the 27-year-old has yet to find a groove in the majors. Even when the pitching staff is healthy, he would be considered a better option than Domingo German, but through three starts this season, he’s been a disappointment.

Domingo German is occupying a starting spot in the rotation until they get more arms back. However, if he has any plans to try to make the case to stay in the rotation, he’s going to have to be better with his pitch counts. In two starts, he lasted just 4.2 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on 75 pitches, allowing four earned runs. His next start against the Indians was just 3 innings and 87 pitches.

The Yankees need length from their starters and Jhony Brito was not able to provide that against the Minnesota Twins Thursday night, lasting just two-thirds of an inning and allowing seven runs on six hits in an 11-2 loss. Boone turned to Isiah Kiner-Falefa to pitch the ninth inning to save some arms in the bullpen. The bottom of the rotation needs to be better and give them more innings than they have so far.

Cordero and Cabrera have been big surprises offensively coming up with key hits at key moments, but Schmidt and German have been disappointments that are putting a strain on the bullpen, something that Boone doesn’t want to burn through in April.