New York Yankees Summer Check Up


New York Yankees

49-22 (First in AL East)



Eye Popping Number

120

When the New York Yankees traded for Giancarlo Stanton in the offseason, it was pretty obvious that the team was going to hit a lot of home runs when the team already contained Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. They have not disappointed. They lead the league in home runs by a wide margin with 120, with the Boston Red Sox are second with 105. The source has come from the usual suspects in Stanton and Judge (18 each), but also some that are getting their first taste of Major League pitching like rookies Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar (14 and 9 respectively). They are currently on pace to break the 1997 Seattle Mariners’ record of 264, with a projection of 273 home runs as a team.

Biggest Surprise

The biggest surprise isn’t a player… well he used to be. Aaron Boone is in his first season as a manager after spending the last few years on ESPN’s MLB team. He’s done a masterful job of maneuvering around injuries in the outfield, managing one of the best bullpens in baseball, and overall leading the team to the best winning percentage in baseball right now.

Player to Watch

With all of the superstar bats in the lineup, it’s easy to be must see TV, but it’s Luis Severino that’s been the most watchable player on the team this season. After finishing third in the American League Cy Young last year, Severino has upped his game this year. He’s almost a lock to give up less than 2 runs and have 7 strikeouts every game. If it weren’t for Justin Verlander’s ridiculous year, Severino would easily be the frontrunner for the Cy Young this season. Currently 4th in the league in ERA and 7th in strikeouts, he’s proving that last season was definitely no fluke.

What to Watch for at the Deadline

The Yankees will enter the trade deadline looking to upgrade while not breaking the bank. They look to be major players in this year’s crazy offseason, but they also want to make any improvements possible as they make a run for the World Series title this season. The team’s biggest hole is starting pitching. Severino and CC Sabathia have been solid, but Sonny Gray and Masahiro Tanaka haven’t performed to their usual quality. Cole Hamels (Texas) will be their number one target, and they’ll probably be the favorites with their stacked farm system. If they can’t get Hamels, Tyson Ross (San Diego) or JA Happ (Toronto) will be a nice consolation prize. The Yankees are always trying to have the best bullpen in baseball, so they could try and make a move to package Jose Leclerc with Hamels, Kirby Yates with Ross, or Ryan Tepera with Happ. Even if they decided to stand pat, they have the weapons to make a deep run into October.

*All stats as of 6/21 via fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 2019 Houston Texans Offseason Blueprint

Image
Well, it’s that time of year again. Football season is over (the NFL season, I should say, as I just watched a game of the Alliance of American Football) and the Houston Texans didn’t win the Super Bowl, extending their streak to 16 years since their inception. While there were moments of hope this season, epitomized by a nine game winning streak and a division championship, there were also moments of doubt that the team was as good as their record. Now, owner, Cal McNair, general manager, Brian Gaine, and head coach, Bill O’Brien, have to figure out how to replicate the moments of hope while eliminating the doubt that surrounds the franchise. Luckily for them, I’m available for hire. Or they can just read this blog for free. However they decide to come to their decisions, this is what they need to do to get to Super Bowl LIV. There is good news and bad news going into the offseason. The good news is that the team has the seventh most cap space to work wit...
Read more

2015 World Series Preview

Image
Starting on Tuesday, the New York Mets will play the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series. According to ESPN at the beginning of the season, none of these teams were predicted to reach the World Series, much less win it. But here they are, and both worthy of being here, and looking to win the last game of the season. Some history between the two teams: The last time the Royals were in the World Series was... well, last year. However the last time they won was back in 1985. Best known for one of the worst calls in MLB history, the Royals came back in game 6 to force game 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals and ended up winning it all. Until recently, they have been the doormat of baseball. Consistently getting top 5 overall draft picks. Lately, those top draft picks have come to fruition as Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Alex Gordon lead not only a potent offense but arguably the best defense in the game. Last year, they were Cinderella but the clock struck midnight on th...
Read more

The Astros and the 2015 MLB Playoffs

Image
Can we all just take a second and think about the Houston Astros being in the playoffs? Yes, those Astros that lost 111 games and had only four players put up a WAR (wins above replacement) of 2.0 in 2013. Those Astros that lost 22 games more than they won last season, and considered that a huge success... those Astros. They are in the playoffs. It may seem like a shock that they almost didn't even make the playoffs thanks to an abysmal road record and late surges by the Rangers and Angels, but the fact of the matter is that no one pegged them to be contenders until maybe  next year. As a homer, and with a completely biased opinion, I imagined them playing somewhere around .500 ball with a shot at the wild card and absolutely no shot at the division with the Mariners having lofty expectations, the Angels having the best record in baseball last year, and the Rangers one of the top payrolls in all of baseball.  But no. These Astros wanted to compete this year. And her...
Read more