YANKEES WON'T WIN PLAYING CASHBOONE BALL!

This just is not Yankees baseball. This has been an abysmal failure of what was hoped for and even predicted for this season. Even if you didn't agree with the favored Yankees for the AL East you at least had more expectations than this. The Yankees just got swept by the Detroit Tigers for crying out loud....

Something's got to give here, but it hasn't. It's June, and in April we all heard Brian Cashman talk about how he believed in this team and that we had magic HERE.....blah blah blah. There's no magic when you are in third place in the division and you were just EMBARASSED by the Detroit Kitty who are just as pitiful as we are. But let's stick with the "MAGIC," right?

WRONG. This is insanely stupid. This ladies and gentlemen is what I call CASHBOONE BALL. It doesn't resemble baseball at all. It's INSANITY and we see it every game because we just wait for the "MAGIC" to appear and catapult us back into first place. No one has a LOGICAL solution for it though.

I mean, have you read Ken Davidoff''s latest piece HERE? Maybe he missed his calling in comedy because his first and second solutions do not work. It's more of the same. It's Tyler Wade's SIXTH go around here and he hasn't been a difference maker before, but he will now over Brett Gardner? Yeah, track record says NO but that's a good one. Use him, sure but who really think Wade is the everyday centerfielder and a productive one? Please. Oh and give Delino DeShields a chance because the Rangers aren't using him and after he tanked with the Rangers in 2020 it's a better bet than what we already have? Okay....that's a whole lot of crazy logic.

The only two things Davidoff said that make any sort of sense are Yes, the Yankees offense is as absolute horror show. Agreed there. If the Yankees want to give Chris Gittens a shot at first base instead of Mike Ford, go for it. It's still a gamble though. He's been productive at Triple-A and might be a sparkplug BUT it's still not a long term solution. No disrespect to Gittens but he's 27 and never played about Double-A until this season....there's no reason to believe he's the answer to a season long problem.

So this is the CASHBOONE BALL I am referring to. The reality is that there isn't any long term help that the Yankees have in house that will fill all of the holes in this lineup for the remainder of the season. The Yankees will need to be open to making meaningful additions by the trade deadline. Keyword meaningful and there will need to be more than one. A centerfielder that can hit does not completely change this team and make it a winning team that contends. The problem is....the Yankees have already said they do not want to spend the money that it will take. They have $3-$4 million to play with before going over the luxury tax and that doesn't fix every problem we have.

So for the time being we have Cashman's MAGIC to rely on and Aaron Boone's lack of management because he's just Cashman's moving mouthpiece that talks everyday and doesn't actually manage. Then we just slap together a lineup and hope for different results than the game before. It's CASHBOONE BALL....and this is a problem that doesn't help us win.

And yeah....I'm beyond irritated and past the point of frustration with it.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

ONCE AGAIN YANKEES OFFENSE IS THEIR UNDOING

Source: Associated Press

Well, clearly you can't win when you don't hit. And you can't win when you can't pitch so therefore, the Yankees lose 6-1 to the Detroit Tigers, in a game that they needed to win. Because these wins are necessary if the Yankees want to be competitive in their division and unstoppable in others. Once again it comes down to the Yankee offense and no hits equalling another unfortunate loss for the Bombers.

The New York Post said it best when it said, it came down to a little bit of everything that killed the Yankees chances of winning Saturday, leaving Sunday to salvage a Yankees spoiler for a Tiger sweep. "The defeat Saturday featured a bit of everything: another no-show from the lineup and a start from rookie Deivi Garcia that proved he is a long way from fulfilling whatever potential the Yankees believe he has. The offense produced just three hits and Garcia once again couldn’t get out of the fifth inning." 

Source: The Atlanta-Journal Constitution 

Watching the Yankees in a local pub in Staten Island was a real treat. But, seeing the Yankees not even compete against the Tigers was deflating. And add the fact that the cross town rival New York Mets beat their division rival Atlanta Braves 13-2– the loss is even more deflating. 

“Anytime, offensively, you don’t mount much or you’re struggling to score runs, it always has that look of being flat,’’ Boone said. “As long as we do this [and continue to slump], it has that look. I know guys are preparing. I know how much they care. I know the level of frustration. It’s not happening. We’ve just got to keep working at it,” reported the Post.

Source: USA Today

Boone's words don't help fans like us who know how important wins against teams like the Tigers to the overall profile for the Yankees. Let's break up the sweep and take one from the subpar Tiger team. To do this, the Yankees need to hit. And hit with purpose. While rallying behind Yankee Sunday starter Michael King, someone I think should be the fifth starter for the Yankees anyway! Let's go Yankees. And let's go King!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @Suzieprof

THE STATE OF THE YANKEES

The Yankees are doing well.  They aren't doing bad by any means. But the way the Twitter world tweets, you'd think we were in the gutter.  

Capozzi is right. The Yankees are only 2.5 out of first place this morning. If you look at the standings that's third place, but it's ONLY 2.5 GAMES OUT! Everyone needs to relax.

First off, Gerrit Cole has been the Yankees saving grace.  6-2 record, 1.78 ERA. He's been pumping and dealing and making stuff happen.  And if you look at the way this team has been hitting... guys like Gleyber Torres for example, things are good. Sure we all want dozens of homers every game, but they are hitting well.

When it comes to pitching... I mean sure, losing guys like Corey Kluber sucks, but seeing right spots in Deivi Garcia try and shine is a good thing.  YES Network writes:

"Garcia, 22, is getting another chance to claim a rotation spot with Corey Kluber sidelined for an extended period.

"I definitely feel very good," Garcia said. "I understand the consistency that I want. I haven't gotten to that point yet, but I feel good. I feel excited for the opportunity, and I am looking forward to it."

So what does this mean? It means the Yanks are doing their best and winning while building their future. 

Look at Gio Urshela. This dude turned into a real superstar. We have him for his defense because it's the real deal. But the dude hits too! I love this by Pinstripe Alley:

"Singleton recounted how he had recently spoken with former teammate Brooks Robinson, who complimented Gio Urshela’s ability with the glove at third. That the 16-time Gold Glove winner and likely greatest defensive third baseman of all time is impressed with Urshela’s ability to field at the hot corner is high praise indeed."

When veterans of the game look at these young players and praise them like that, it means something. Gotta love that.

My one worry, and this can hopefully be worked out... is the injury bug.  Look, I love watching Giancarlo Stanton hit, but the dude gets hurt a lot. And Aaron Judge is falling into that same category.  When they are on, they're on and it's awesome to watch them hit dinger after dinger. But big bodies don't last long in baseball. Big bodies are there for the now, and not for longevity. Weights are great but with weights and supplements means quick muscle buildup and less healing and more hurting.  Is it worth it? Is it?

Look. The Yankees are in a great spot. I love what I see from them this season. We are finding ways to get it done.  So don't fret... don't get angry when we lose 3-2. Don't write off the season on a 2 game losing streak.  It's a long season... and the Yankees are only 2.5 games back! We got this folks... we got this!

THE TREND THAT ALL MLB FANS SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT!

Baseball is hurting right now, literally. Even if you aren't a Yankee fan (but still here reading this, thanks) it's more likely than not that your team is still ailing with some sort of injury right now. There's an ugly trend happening right now that will likely have more complications than we have ever realized before. Sad thing is....there may be no end in sight.

It's still very early in the 2021 season and the injuries for a lot of teams are mounting and meanwhile the offense is tanking and the no hitters are increasing. Not the most fun time to be a baseball fan right now. I love a good pitching duel, but not when you have less offense and more injuries. Add in any Covid absences thanks to this on-going pandemic and it gets even more hairy.

We all have heard the saying that "good teams find a way to win no matter what" and that's still true. The Yankees have enjoyed a nice win streak and they have been without big names like usual injury suspects Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks, but they've also given extra rest to Aaron Judge when needed too.

And what about Luke Voit? He's going back on the Injured list now with a grade 2 right oblique strain, read more HERE. We also sit and wait to hear more information on Corey Kluber. But what if these injuries keep mounting? If it does, it will eventually make it hard for teams to put together a team, competitive or not.

Right now the Yankees have 9 players on the Injured list, not counting Kluber who is still listed day-to-day but will change. There are several teams out there who are favored for postseason berth or even world series contenders that are in a worse spot then we are. Check this out....

Dodgers:  14 players on the Injured list, 5 considered day-to-day
Padres:    13 players on the Injured list, 6 considered day-to-day
Mets:  17 players on the Injured list, 5 considered day-to-day

Those are just a few, I'm sure there are others. So why does this matter? It puts the 2020 pandemic shortened season in focus. Most of the people that teams are filling in from didn't play last season. The Minor league seasons were cancelled last year. Some of thee teams are running out of call-up candidates that they used last season as part of the "taxi squads." Those players at least saw some action, a lot of these guys have literally lost a season and are still getting back in the swing of things. The pool for replenishment for these teams is already drying up, especially the Mets.

And think about how this will affect the trade deadline. The Yankees are already thinking about operating within an approximate $3 million budget before going into the next tax bracket. That's already a lot to deal with but if this continues and multiple teams need bodies that are just healthy enough to play.....that gets messier.

Baseball teams are going to need to change the way they condition. I don't believe this is a result of a shortened 2020 season at all. This isn't about playing 162 games now compared to 60 last year. Teams need to adjust their conditioning. Muscle tone is important, but lay off the constant use of the weights and start looking at agility and stretching more. Stop weight training every day year round. 

Baseball has some serious adjustments to make, that should've been made a long time ago. This isn't a good trend for baseball. It will only make baseball unwatchable.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

COREY KLUBER CAN'T CATCH A BREAK

Source: Associated Press

Well, the headline is not entirely true. I mean he was practically perfect last week against Texas but he exited the game Tuesday night after only 58 pitches. At first I thought, maybe he just didn't have it, but then it became clear that something was wrong. After his first career no-hitter where Corey Kluber struck out nine in a101-pitch performance, the Yankee pitcher left the game against Toronto with shoulder tightness.

"Kluber, who missed most of the last two seasons with arm issues, departed with a tightness in his pitching shoulder. He’s scheduled to undergo additional tests, which will include an MRI on Wednesday," reported NJ.com on Tuesday. 

Now, here's the thing. Aaron Boone is so cautious when it comes to his position players. From sore toes to stiff necks, Boone rests his players for the littlest things and sometimes without warrant. Yet after a guy who has been prone to injuries over the last few seasons pitches a no hitter, you give him his regular start? Why not skip him? We have the pitching. Why not let him have some additional rest? Now I realize he had Monday off, which is good, but the veteran might have needed just a bit more. Why not be a bit more cautious?

The other pet peeve I have is all the hype the YES broadcasters put on Tuesday's start—giving stats about the last time two no-nos in a row happened and banter about that Kluber changeup.  Totally unnecessary. Honestly it adds even more to the disappointment we all feel about Kluber. 

Source: PIX11

The Yankees pitching has been terrific this season and with the bats and defense starting to really gel, this setback really kills the momentum. And the defense last night really took a beating following Kluber's exit. I hope Corey is okay. I hope this does not break him. I really root for guy who battles back from injury, particularly when this athlete is in his later years. Look at Phil Mickelson winning the PGA Championship at age 50—the oldest golfer to do this. He battled injuries and setbacks, but this year was his year. 

The Yankees will have to regroup and reset themselves while they wait to find out about Kluber. In the meantime, let's pray that he's okay and this is just a speedbump. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

WHO'S IN CENTER? NO ONE KNOWS!

So Aaron Hicks lands on the Injured List again for his seventh time as a Yankee and no one is surprised. But now the surprise is, what are the Yankees going to do now that Mike Tauchman isn't on the team to step in? Oh and there's a chance that Hicks misses the rest of the season so....now what?

Good question. We know Brett Gardner can play center field, but would the Yankees gamble on him being a productive everyday solution? He's looked better at the plate recently, but he got off to a bad start (like much of the Yankees hitters).  It puts the Yankees in a very uncomfortable position because Clint Frazier also isn't healthy with a current neck issue and Aaron Boone has no current plans to move Aaron Judge to center, either.

So how do the Yankees bolster their outfield? Because they are going to need to. This current lineup won't be enough to get the Yankees through the rest of the season because at this point, I am just going to assume Hicks won't be back. 

I can usually find a trending idea on social media and feel good about it....but so far I am finding nothing. 

There's a lot of chatter about Delino DeShields Jr. for the simple fact that he's likely available, and no other reason. He signed a minor league deal with the Rangers during the offseason after the Cleveland Indians non-tendered him in December and has yet to see any Major league action. but the Yankees could see some upside with him because he is a good baserunner and has a solid outfield glove capable of above-average defense in center field. I can't say his .246/.326/.340 over 2056 career plate appearances in the majors is very inspiring but he does have some major league experience.

There's also some fascination on social media right now with Andrew Benintendi who is adjusting after being traded from the Red Sox to the Kansas City Royals in the offseason. April was a rough transition for him but he has been one of the American League's hottest hitters in May with a .356 BA and .844 OPS for the month. It would be nice to get a guy with a hot bat right now but he's also a left fielder and my guess is Kansas City isn't looking to move him. He has one year of arbitration left and any conversation involving Benintendi is going to likely start with Yankees catching prospect Austin Wells since they have plenty of middle infield and pitching propsects. I just don't see it happening.

Then there are other names like Joey Gallo and David Peralta out there that are also recovering from injuries and just don't make sense for the Yankees either.

But the biggest name I don't like in this discussion is our own....Estevan Florial simply because he isn't ready yet. He had a nice home run over the weekend, but after he got off to a hot start in Double-A he has since faded. Some people may not realize he only hit .229 with 9 strikeouts in 25-at bats in nine games this season with Double-A Somerset and now just .172 with 9 strikeouts in 29-at bats with Triple-A. He needed more time in Double-A but he was still promoted. He simply needs more time and he needs to play regularly down in Triple-A. If he hasn't proven that he can hit minor league pitching, how can we expect him to do that in the Majors? We can't. We would be setting him up to fail. I've heard a lot of "it's time to sink or swim" talk from fans....and that idea simply doesn't work. Do we need someone at the major league level? Yes, but we need the right person....and Florial hasn't proven that YET.

I'm not sure what the Yankees are going to do here....but they are in a real pickle especially if they aren't willing to spend a lot of money. I don't know what the solution is here but, something's gotta give. The Yankees only have themselves to blame for this disaster.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

LIKE A GOOD GLEYBER, TORRES IS THERE!

Source: Yahoo Sports

What a week! No-hitter, triple play, and a walk off all in just a couple of days. One guy who is definitely smiling after this week is Gleyber Torres. After joining the team following his stint on the COVID IL,  Torres has been on fire, going 8-for-14 with 6 RBI after missing six games following his positive test. And in the words of the endearing Yankee broadcaster John Sterling, "Like a Good Gleyber, Torres is there!"

Source: AP

“When he’s getting a pitch, he’s putting it in play now with authority,” Yankee skipper Aaron Boone said. “I think throughout most of the year he’s done a good job of actually controlling the zone and made some pretty good swing decisions, but I think now we’re starting to see the extra-base hits come along and I think that’s a product of getting into some counts and when you do get a pitch making sure you stick it," reported the New York Daily News.

After a tough start to 2021, Gleyber has turned the corner and is tearing down the straight away at full speed both offensively and defensively. He had three key hits in the game against Chicago on Saturday and we all remember the walk-off on Friday night! 

I think a stark reminder of his humbleness came in Friday night's walk-off at the hands of Torres's bat. In his post-game interview with Meredith Marakovits, Torres shared how grateful he is to be here and how hard he has been working to improve. 

"I have to remind myself how I can do better for my team as a player and motivate myself to getting better," Torres said in his very humble way to the Yankee broadcaster. He called the triple play that set up the walk-off as one of the most exciting moments of his career. 

Source: AP

It is these kinds of moments with these kinds of players that make baseball fun, despite the complexities of the game itself in this very challenging time we are all living. Gleyber Torres playing with confidence and conviction parallels the strength of the entire Yankee team from starting pitching to defensive finesse and an offense that is finally hitting with runners in scoring position. And they are winning series, which is key to staying in the heat of the pennant race. 

The Yankees close out their three game stint with the Chicago White Sox today, followed by an off day and the opening of three game set against their AL East rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays.  

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

AARON HICKS IS A HUGE WASTE

The Yankees always seem to invest in the wrong guy. When the Yankees said it was gonna be a multiyear deal for Aaron Hicks, I remember thinking, "Well that's stupid, he gets hurt too much."

And now, this guy is out again.  Randy Miller of NJ.com writes:

"AARON HICKS, CF

Injury: Torn sheath that holds left wrist tendon in place.

Missed games: 8.

Status: 10-day injured list (retro to May 13).

The latest: Hicks decided on Friday to have wrist surgery that may end his season. He’s returning to his home in Arizona on Saturday and will have the surgery there soon. Projected return: Out indefinitely.

Boone update: “I know it’s months, plural, (recovery time). I don’t know how many. I’d rather ‘Let’s get through the surgery and see what they say about a potential timeline and if that puts any point at the end of the season in play or not. It’s probably too early to speculate on that. But it’s going to be awhile.”

F off Hicks.  A 7 year, $70 million extension contract back in 2019.  What a freaking waste of money.

Is anyone else annoyed by this guy?

HUGE YANKEE WIN! BIG WALK-OFF!

You can't beat a walk off.  It's the greatest moment in sports.

Last night the Yankees played and won a huge game, and a walk off was a result... not to mention the Yanks got a triple play... and by the way, that was the first time in the Yankees franchise history that they ever did a triple play and walk off in the same inning. Of course it is... that's pretty hard to do. It's also pretty incredible.

MSN Sports writes:

"A triple play and walk-off single in the ninth inning had that same crowd explode louder than it's been all season long in the Bronx..."

This is how it went down. MSN Sports again...

"...the first two batters reached against Aroldis Chapman in the top of the ninth. A leadoff walk and a slow roller in front of the mound had the closer on the ropes.

That all changed when White Sox left fielder Andrew Vaughn rolled over on a 1-1 slider, sending a hard ground ball to third base.

Gio Urshela gobbled it up, stepping on the bag to his right for one. He then fired a strike to Rougned Odor at second for two. The relay to Luke Voit at first was just in time, getting Chapman and the Yankees out of the jam in dramatic fashion."

But then came the walk off...

"Against Chicago's Evan Marshall, the Yankees rattled off three base hits in a row. Aaron Judge set the table by ripping a single up the middle, Urshela followed with a line drive to shallow right and Gleyber Torres stroked a walk-off single through the left side, his second game-winning hit of the season."

Let's not leave out Jordan Montgomery... striking out 11. Throwing his heart out.

Big win... huge game... Go Yanks!

PAUL O'NEILL WEIGHS ON YANKEES OFFENSIVE WOES

The Yankees were hard to watch last month and even with the better record now and some wins....they are STILL hard to watch. There's a lot of season left and a lot of time to make improvements but they have a lot of work ahead of them. It's time to get back to some basics here.

I really like a lot of what Paul O'Neill has been saying lately from the broadcast booth. He's not saying anything earth shattering. It's not rocket science at all, but considering how awful the Yankees are this season at hitting you would think it was. If you didn't get to hear his comments you can read more about them HERE.

Seven of 12 Yankees hitters who have 50-plus plate appearances are batting in the .100s

Let that just sink in. That's literally disgusting to me and flat out unacceptable. O'Neill had some ideas on what needed to happen in order to fix it. I agree with most of them. Here's what works....

"If you were a manager and you take this team, I’ll have Voit, Stanton and Judge in my office, ‘You guys, I need you to hit home runs.’"

Again, O'Neill's comment is not rocket science but true. Luke Voit is last season's home run king, and lately Aaron Judge has been every pitcher's worst nightmare. We know Giancarlo Stanton can knock them out and he was on a tear earlier.....you know before he went on the Injured List AGAIN. The guys have the swing and the power and they just need to have good plate discipline and do what they do best. The keywords are plate discipline don't swing at everything, don't swing at garbage and drive the ball. 

"Then I’m going to take LeMahieu, Torres and Urshela and say, ‘Guys, I need you to be .300 hitters. I need you to drive the ball all over the place and keep the ball in play.’"

Again, right on the money. When you make contact, you make things happen. Hopefully good things, but still without contact then we get the seven Yankee hitters hitting .100 and that just doesn't work. We all know what DJ LeMahieu can do, he's been our Most Valuable Player and he's Mr. Consistent. We need him to stay that way and drive runs in. Gleyber Torres looks better now, but in April he looked like he was pressing too hard. He had a longer swing and his stance was pretty wide. It really messed with his mechanics and that's not how you bust out of a slump.

But here's what doesn't work for me....
"And then you’ve got Gardner and Wade, ‘I need you guys on base. I need you to steal bases and score runs.’"

I agree with the 'get on base' part but I think the days of relying on Brett Gardner to steal are over. He hasn't been much of a base stealer since 2017 where he had 23 in 151 games and 682 plate appearances. It's been a while since we've had that kind of production from him. Can he still do it? Yes. Is he likely to do it as much? Probably not. As far as Tyler Wade goes, I really don't think the Yankees can rely on him. He's had a lot of opportunities throughout the years and he's not a base stealer. His career best is 7 back in 2019. At this point he has a .280 BA, which is miles better than several other guys. Just give him some at-bats, hope he stays consistent and drives some runs in. We can't give him too many specific roles here and expect him to flourish. 

The Yankees like their analytics, so these ideas seem old-school and don't fit their current direction but they make sense and it can't hurt. The Yankees are underperforming here and I think O'Neill is on to something. 

O'Neill is a former batting champion for crying out loud so he knows a thing or two about hitting, even in this modern world. I really can't say I have the same confidence right now when it comes to Marcus Thames right now.....but I've already went down that road. 

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

KLUBER'S NO HITTER IS A STORY OF RESILIENCE

No one really believed that Corey Kluber could be good this year. I had my doubts, I'm not gonna lie. But the bottom line is the guy believed he could and so, the Yankees took a chance. They took a chance with Jay Bruce too, but when it got hard, that guy just bailed. That's not resilience, that's giving up.

But Corey Kluber is different. He stuck with it, he worked toward a goal. He was never trying to do too much... he was just trying to do. And each time he went out, he got better and you have to admire that. That's dedication... that's paying attention to stepping stones... that's working to find a way to win... not just for the team, but for the person himself.  The one that had the struggles and setbacks. The one that still was in love with the game.

Corey Kluber pitched a no hitter. Not an easy feat. And we should all applaud that.  Is he once again an ace? Nope? But who cares... he's got the confidence and pride back and the belief that he could do anything and that is something that needs to be respected and admired.

ESPN writes:

"New York Yankees right-hander Corey Kluber threw the sixth no-hitter this season in Major League Baseball, striking out nine in a 2-0 win against the Rangers on Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas...

"It was a lot of fun, I think it was a special night," Kluber said. "I've never been part of one, witnessed one, yet alone thrown one."

And so he did it as a Yankee and that's pretty cool.  But let's also give credit to the dark horse of the season and soon the be Yankee leader in catcher Kyle Higashioka. The New York Post writes:

"He was unreal back there tonight,” said Kluber, who vowed to buy Higashioka a gift worthy of the occasion. “The way he goes about calling a game, the way we see things, think about things, we kind of make sense to each other. I think that, especially, when they were geared up for fastballs, he was on it. When they were looking for off-speed stuff, he was on it. He had a really good feel of what they are trying to do and called a great game back there.”

Leaders come in many forms, and Higgy has shown plenty. He will be our Yankee future.

Congrats to Kluber. Quite a feat! Let's keep going!

YANKEES HAVE ME RUNNING ON 10

Source: The Athletic

One of my co-workers said to me today that she knew I was "Running on 10." Curious what that meant, I probed for further discovery. She said that meant my threshold, or patience level. When you are running on 10, you have essentially had it. Interesting. When I shared with her that the Yankees have dropped some key games that they should have won, she said, well that could get you running on 10! The Yankees are a quarter through the season and their performance is not quite where it needs to be.

"The Yankees’ offense took another hit this week when Giancarlo Stanton landed on the injured list with a left quadriceps strain (retroactive to May 14) shortly after Aaron Hicks ended up on the injured list with a tear in his wrist sheath that might require surgery," reported The Athletic on Tuesday. 

Source: NJ.com

Still facing concerns both behind the plate and in the batter's box, Gary Sanchez continues to raise my 10. Between his past balls, and lackluster offense, Sanchez continues to put the Yankees at a disadvantage. Speaking of disadvantage, Jameson Taillon can't seem to get it together over the last two starts. The Rangers hit him without fear as Taillon struggled with control and the Yankees struggle with consistent offense.

According to the New York Daily News Aaron Boone states that "there are things that suggest we’re real close. I certainly feel like we’ve been trending that way in the last few weeks. Obviously, we haven’t really broken through like we all know we’re capable of." 

Source: Newsday

On the upside, the Yankees welcome back Gleyber Torres who was hot before testing positive for COVID-19 last week, DJ LeMahieu is playing more like "The Machine" and Aaron Judge, who was AL Player of the Week, is turning on the heat. It comes down to consistency and not losing to teams who they should beat, like Texas, Baltimore and the incoming Chicago White Sox.

According to The Athletic as of Tuesday night, "The Yankees are just 2 1/2 games behind the Red Sox, and the only relevance their division and league standings show at the moment is that they’ve performed well enough to have a chance at a highly successful season over their remaining 121 regular-season games."

I would like to run on 10, if that means fuel in my tank leading to more productivity. I don't want to run on 10 because the Yankees are aggravating me so much that I have to bring that attitude to the office. With three quarters of the season left there is a lot of baseball to play. These last few weeks should not define the Yankee season, but this is the moment for the Yankees to take a good look at where they want to be by July 1st and pivot to get there. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof