The win streak came when some of the regulars were not in the lineup. The Yankees had to get creative and patch together a lineup in the worst of circumstances that actually worked. It's a reminder to stick with what works. Don't be afraid to shake things up. Before the win streak things weren't working and the trade deadline got some pieces for us that were a band=aid but while the 13 win streak was fun to watch, was it an anomaly?
What we saw from April-July was representative of what the "regular" team really is....ineffective. The addition of the lefty bats was welcome because it added balance but it wasn't the solution. So IS ANYONE EXCITED THAT JOEY GALLO IS A YANKEE? I'd say NO now.
I still like the Anthony Rizzo addition, he adds consistency in the infield and some additional leadership....which the Yankees need. I never liked the Andrew Heaney move. I've watched him long before he ever put pinstripes on and honestly, Brian Cashman added a weakness there. The Angels are the winners in that trade and they are very happy about losing his 7.71 ERA. These were band-aids, not fixes and some of them didn't even pan out.
I'm not the biggest Tyler Wade fan these days but he gave the Yankees the energy and speed on the bases that has been missing. That snapped as soon as Gio Urshela was brought back and Andrew Velazquez is definitely superior at shortstop than Gleyber Torres. The Yankees have handicapped themselves because while the "regulars" are back, there's no room for the guys that were productive and getting the job done. The same goes for Rougned Odor who is now back on the bench. I believe Torres can be developed the Yankees shouldn't give up on him BUT leaving him at shortstop is not the answer.
So the Yankees went back to their tired lineup because they are the regulars and the guys who were getting the results are not playing. The analytics are back, it's managing with a formula that hasn't produced results instead of rolling with the lineup that was producing. That's the only explanation that makes sense. The sad thing is, the season is on the line and a Wild Card spot is once again in jeopardy. October isn't even a guarantee. The Yankees are in real danger of missing the postseason.
The win streak showed us what is possible, but not with Cashman's current approach to building rosters or with Boone's management skills. I believe the Yankees are capable of a lot more, but we wont see the full potential with this ideology. The streak may have been an anomaly, but if the Yankees changed their thought process and played real baseball it doesn't have to be.
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