The Yankees are in First place with exactly one Third of the season played. In 54 games, New York’s record is 32-22. They have a two game lead over 2nd place Boston, 3 1/2 game lead over 3rd place Baltimore.
When you consider that shortstop Didi Gregorius started the season on the DL due to a shoulder injury sustained during the WBC, catcher Gary Sanchez went on the DL one week into the season with a bicep strain, closer Aroldis Chapman felt arm discomfort in late April before landing on the DL in mid May with rotator cuff inflammation in his shoulder, not to mention, the Yankees have gotten minimal production from FIRST and THIRD, as in the corner infield positions (Headley has not hit a HR since April 19th, Carter has 1 hit in last 22 ABs), no die-hard fan can complain about the start of the 2017 season. When you stop and think that the ace of the pitching staff Masahiro Tanaka, compiled a microscopic 0.38 ERA in 6 spring training starts, but has a 6.34 ERA ( highest of any starter in the A.L. with qualifying innings) in 11 regular season starts, and while 1B Greg Bird tore-up the grapefruit league with 8 HRs and a .451 BA, struggled to start the regular season with a .100 BA, 1HR in 60 ABs through May 1st before going on the DL, the question becomes .. how exactly have the Yankees been able to overcome the combination of injury and under-performance to so many key players ??
Good question !!
You can’t talk about the early success of the season without beginning with Aaron Judge. After battling for the starting RF position with Aaron Hicks right down to the last day of spring training, Judge has taken the league by storm, not only making himself the clear favorite for rookie of the year honors, but also a legitimate league MVP candidate. Aaron Judge has done it all, from leading the team in Homers, RBIs & B.A. to playing a gold glove calibre right field. Add in his ability to run the bases and he is a true 5 tool super-star in the making. In fact Judge not only leads the team in Home Runs, he leads the entire major leagues in Home Runs. His Stat line : 18 HR, 41 RBI, .324 BA, .429 OBP, .681 SLG, 1.110 OPS, as eye-popping as it is, doesn’t tell the whole story. He has captured the fascination of the entire league with his 6’7″, 282 lb. frame, tape measure homers and mind bobbling exit V-Lo. As if that is not enough, his humble, team-first personality is drawing comparisons to none other than Derek Jeter. What more can you say .. Judge Rules.
But it is not only Judge that has surprised and over-achieved. Who (other than Brian Cashman) thought Aaron Hicks could put up huge numbers ? He leads the team in OBP (2nd in the A.L.) Stat line : 8 HR, 31 RBI, .321 BA, .432 OBP, .577 SLG, 1.009 OPS is nothing short of amazing. Hicks has been a revelation. He has hit for power, average, played solid defense, and has performed to a level that most (including me) did not see coming.
Starlin Castro is the only Yankee to play all 54 games, leads the team in hits and has been another solid contributor. Stat line: 9 HR, 31 RBI, .315 BA, .352 OBP, .489 SLG, .841 OPS
Brett Gardner, after a slow April: 2 HR, 4 RBI .205 BA, .318 OBP, .329SLG, .647 OPS channeled his inner Paul O’Neill on May 3rd when he went ballistic in the Yankee dugout, and then proceeded to let out his aggressions on opposing pitchers in May: 9 HR, 21 RBI, .327 BA, .400 OBP, .673 SLG, 1.073 OPS
But in my opinion, no one is more important to the success of the offense than Designated Hitter Matt Holliday. Matt is 2nd on the team in RBIs with 37, and tied for 2nd in Home Runs with 12, but it is his leadership, and specifically his role as mentor to Aaron Judge and others that has made him such an important part of the 2017 team. Many are realizing & talking now about the “up the middle / opposite field approach” that many of the Yankee hitters have adopted. Here is what I wrote during the middle of spring training.
Let’s not forget the bench players that stepped in, and stepped up. Ronald Torreyes filled in admirably for Didi Gregorius and gave the team a much needed spark early in the season with clutch hitting and game winning RBIs. Austin Romine who took over behind the plate when catcher Sanchez went on the DL. The team was 1-4, and the starting pitching was not getting the job done. Romine made an immediate impact with his handling of the rotation, with no greater example than challenging Michael Pineda to throw more change-ups before the home-opener. Pineda was pitching a perfect game with 2 outs in the 7th inning thanks to Romine’s advise of mixing in a third pitch. In fact after Longoria broke up the bid for perfection with a double off a hanging slider, Pineda had to bear down and concentrate on the next batter, clean-up hitter Brad Miller who was the tying run at the plate. Romine called for change-ups for strike one and strike two before getting the K with a fastball. Austin suggested the same strategy of mixing in a change-up when catching Luis Severino. Luis was working on adding the change-up from the start of spring training but Romine reinforced the commitment. In fact the entire rotation excelled with Romine as their battery-mate. The icing on the cake was that Romine had a .314 Batting Average for the month of April. CC Sabathia had one rough patch this season but has exceeded expectations with a 6-2 record, and 6’6” rookie Jordan Montgomery has impressed with his composure, mix of five different pitches, and over-the-top arm slot, pitching to a 3.67 ERA.
The bullpen was perceived as the strength of the team going into the season, but with Chapman going on the DL with rotator cuff inflammation , Dellin Betances would need to shoulder the load of closing games. Betances has been superb. In 20 games Dellin has a stat line of : 6 Holds, 5 Saves, 33K, 0.49 ERA. 0.98 WHIP
That is how the Yankees surprised many (including management) with a pace that projects to a 96 win season. The question now becomes .. can they keep it going ??
Another good question !!
Here’s my take on the positive start and whether it is sustainable.
I look at what has gone right so far and think back at a segment I did called “Less About Dollars and More About Sense“. The Yankees have become more fundamentally sound at the plate and that should be sustainable, plus getting Greg Bird back in the batting order can only help compared to Chris Carter (look for Tyler Austin also as a back-up at 1B). And if Chase Headley continues to falter, the Yanks will have little choice but to promote 20 year old phenom Gleyber Torres and play him at 3B. I see the offense hitting well on the road but I see them dominating at home. For the reasons I mentioned previously. The Righty bats will use their “up the middle/ opposite field approach” and take full advantage of the short porch during the dog days of summer. My forecast this summer for the South Bronx is HAZY, HOT & HOMERS.
Having said all that, my belief is that a team will only go as far as the pitching takes it. The bullpen will be the teams greatest strength provided Chapman comes back and stays off the DL. It’s been my opinion all along that the season will come down to the starting rotation. Will Masahiro Tanaka straighten out his mechanics ? Is it mechanical ? I’m not so sure about that. As long as Masahiro has that partially torn UCL in his elbow, I will always be concerned about him . If Tanaka were to go on the DL, look for the Yankees to take a Chance on Adams. Chance Adams (drafted:2015 5th round) has excelled at every minor league level, and this year his combined record at AA & AAA is 7-1, 1.24 ERA. But make no mistake about it, if the Yankees ace were to go down,the entire season will hinge on the two-headed monster I call PINEDERINO . Last year, as 2-pitch (FB/Slider) starters they had a combined 6-20 record. This season they are a combined 10-5. They are both mixing in their change-up as a third pitch up to this point. If they can continue to mix pitches, change speeds, command their FB, and throw Sliders with downward tilt, they can anchor the top of the rotation. That is a big IF and if Tanaka goes down both Pineda and Severino would BOTH need to pitch to the top of their ability, and do it consistently.
The First Third of the season has been terrific. The team is playing fundamentally sound baseball. You have batters hitting to all fields, while hitting for power at the same time. Of the 30 MLB teams, they are 4th in Runs scored, 4th in HR, 4th in RBI, 7th in BA, 3rd in On-Base %, 3rd in SLG, 3rd in OPS. You have key rotation arms going from predictable 2-pitch starters to pitchers that mix pitches & change speeds. You have a never-say-quit team attitude that comes from behind and plays all 27 outs. They are playing the game the right way, it’s a pleasure to watch, and let’s hope they keep it going.
No question about that !!
As always,
GO NYY !!
