I suppose it isn’t time to panic just yet, but it’s past time to be concerned. One game shy of the season’s halfway mark, the Yankees sit at 46-34 with a suddenly uncomfortable half-game lead in the American League East. They enjoyed a seven-game lead in late May, and most experts agreed that it was genuine. The surprising strength of their pitching staff combined with an elite offense had powered the team to one of the top records in the game, and expectations were high.
And then June arrived. While it wouldn’t have shocked anyone if Carlos Rodón had turned back into a pumpkin or if Clarke Schmidt had reverted to his previous four-inning form, the problem was with the offense. Take a look…
| Player | May | June |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Wells | .714 OPS, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs | .676 OPS, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs |
| Paul Goldschmidt | .904 OPS, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs | .463 OPS, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs |
| D.J. LeMahieu | .505 OPS, 1 HR, 3 RBIs | .729 OPS, 1 HR, 7 RBIs |
| Jazz Chisholm | DNP | .938 OPS, 4 HRs, 13 RBIs |
| Anthony Volpe | .703 OPS, 1 HR, 14 RBIs | .652 OPS, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs |
| Cody Bellinger | .902 OPS, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs | .764 OPS, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs |
| Trent Grisham | .775 OPS, 5 HRs, 11 RBIs | .727 OPS, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs |
| Aaron Judge | 1.251 OPS, 11 HRs, 18 RBIs | .950 OPS, 7 HRs, 13 RBIs |
| Jasson Domínguez | .854 OPS, 4 HRs, 12 RBIs | .677 OPS, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs |
| Ben Rice | .739 OPS, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs | .683 OPS, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs |
The counting stats will look at least a little bit better after the last four days of June, but the OPS numbers don’t lie. Jazz Chisholm missed all of May, so he’s hot right now instead, but everyone else in the lineup has declined either a little bit (Judge, but we’ll allow it) or a significant amount (Volpe, Bellinger, Grisham, Rice). Goldschmidt hasn’t just declined, he’s cratered to the point that anyone paying attention has to realize it’s time for a straight platoon at first base with Goldschmidt and Rice.
If you need evidence beyond what your eyes have been telling you, consider this. Rice is slashing .263/.358/.514 against righties, well over a hundred points better in each stat than he is against lefties, and Goldie is at .408/.494/.711 against southpaws, numbers that are staggering in comparison to the counter — .244/.287/.330. Think about that. This team has a first baseman that’s slugging .330 against righties.
The dip in individual offensive numbers has exposed this team’s larger problem. They are simply allergic to — and stop me if you’ve heard this one before — situational hitting. Aaron Judge should continue doing what he’s doing — swinging hard at every pitch that’s to his liking — but everyone else needs to look in the mirror. (Or at least angle that mirror so it’s reflecting an image of Cody Bellinger, the only hitter in the lineup who appears to alter his swing with two strikes.)
I don’t need to see a sacrifice bunt every time a player reaches base, but hitting to the right side with no outs and a runner on second would be nice, especially in extra innings. Winning is easy when you hit eight or nine home runs in a three game series, but when things begin to go sour as they have over the past three weeks, an extra run here or there can mask some of the individual slumps plaguing the lineup, and the dividends would extend beyond the boxscore. Don’t you think it would help Anthony Volpe to hear some cheers and get a few pats on the back for a ground ball to second base? And couldn’t that morale boost lead to a more relaxed at bat the next time he steps to the plate?
Some things just make sense. But what do I know?
[Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.]
Rubber game. Let's go Yankees! Let's defeat an old friend.
Everything looks and feels better when Judge goes deep.
This rubber game is looking less rubbery.
That was ball 4 for Volpe. Followed by strike 2 for the K.
How many times is Volpe going to make that ill advised dive in the hole shite throw to Third?
Another bad decision by the Volpe. Sigh.
Yanks get on. Yanks get out.
Ah, afternoon game today
The Martian comes through.
Atta boy, Dominguez!
The two things that make me happiest while watching a game are big hits for Judge and Dominguez. I want so badly for Dominguez to be great.
Crap
Another game turned to shite. Yanks get on. Yanks get out. Blue Jays get on. Blue Jays score.
Max? Only allowed to give up solo homers.
I love watching the same bad rerun every day.
8 hits for Yankees to 3 hits for Jays?
Yay, tied
This is fucking bullshit.
This is not good
Nope, not good at all.
Ernie Clement went to High School 5 minutes from my house. I hope he hits into a double play,
FUCK!
Shit!
I HATE george springer. Time to walk the dog.
Wasn’t the bullpen supposed to be a strength?
And happy Bobby Bonilla day
This team does just enough every summer to lull the decision makers into thinking they’re built to win it all, and then they don’t.
Dropping series to Boston, Anaheim, and Cincy this month are a real indicator that this team’s lineup will wilt like a wet linen shirt in October against real pitching staffs.
I’m not going to say I know how to fix it but it’s frustrating to watch. Volpe is clearly not developing as needed, and now with average to negative defense, you have to wonder where he fits long term.
WhenI left it was 8-0. Now it is 8-7. What the hell did I miss?
I was about to watch The Bear, but I think I will wait now.
I was listening in the car and heard the first five Toronto hitters score and figured it was lights out. I coached a basketball game, got back in the car, and it was 8-7. Crazy.
By the way — I still haven’t watched Season 2 of The Bear. Gotta get back to it. Also behind on Severance. Lots of good TV out there.
Guys, Aaron Judge is really good.
[30] I really liked all the seasons so far. Also an added bonus being in the Chicago area.
Judge starting to lock in again.
All seasons of the Bear are great but 4 has been a nice step up after 3. I also lived in Chicago for a few years so appreciate the local flavor however brief I could consider myself a local.
[34] I never lived in the city, but did work downtown for a couple years. So you might be more than me.
Rock bottom or the beginning of the end? Time will tell.
I hate baseball. :_(
I imagine the Muts will sweep us and we’ll be a 3rd place team before long. 4th place soon after the AS break. Oreos have been coming on a bit lately, so I assume we’ll end the season in the cellar. Maybe then Boonie will be gone…
Schmidt will be out ‘til 2027. It’ll take him a while to get back into form and I’m not sure what his contract status will be then. I do know that we fucking SUCK at baseball. (Judge notwithstanding)
I’m betting TJS for Schmidt.
Damn, missed the crack to back
Martian misplays a ball and Soto makes him pay.
Sign me up for the next ten years of Jasson Dominguez.
Weaver appears to be broken.
So the offense stops slumping, and now the pitching is.
It’s not that this team is bad, they’re just good at finding new ways to lose every day.
And just like that — Tommy John surgery looking likely for Schmidt. See you in 2027, Clarke.
Dear Yankees,
Try and win today.
Thank you, The Banter.
Welp.
Ugh, quick trip to the grocery store.
Jazz!
Sigh
It’s unbelievable how bad we are. :_(
Wells is feeling well.
The shit sox offense is really good. We’ll be in 4th before too very long…
At least the twins just walked-off the rays again.
Need the halos to stave off the jays…
A six pitch inning?
Of course.
As good as Rodon has been this year, I’m never surprised to see him get lit up like this.
If they fire Boone, I think they have a chance to make the playoffs. Otherwise I do not like their chances. This is not a good team. They should probably be sellers, but I doubt they will be.
Well, that was a wasted afternoon.
But really, what should Boone be doing differently with this roster? This will be their sixth loss in a row while scoring 5+ runs in each, a rare accomplishment. Sixty percent of the projected starting rotation is on the IL. The best closer in baseball from 2024 has largely been a bust. Luke Weaver suddenly can’t get anyone out. I don’t see any of this as Boone’s fault.
Jeez, I go for supper and now it’s worser.
[60] They still make a lot of bad fielding and running mistakes that will cost them a fair amount of games. They are not able to score in extra innings on the road often. He didn't seem to pick up that something was wrong with Weaver until it was too late. It just seems like something needs to change to get them out of their funk. I think any replacement level manager would be an improvement, but what do I know? It may not matter as they may not be a good team, but if they trade for players they will have to give up pieces of the future, which may be brighter than this year.
Let’s see how they lose today.
Not a strike, Blue.
Goose is 74?!
Stanton is slow.
Yay, Judge.
Now lasagna sucks?
And here it comes...
Finding a way…
I’d really like an easy win that I don’t have to pay attention to. Is that too much to ask?
Judge just missed it, but I’ll take a sac fly.
Hell of a play, Cody!
Wow! What a play!!
That Bellinger play is one of the best you’ll ever see, exactly when the Yankees needed it. They better not overturn this.
Would’ve been game over if Belli doesn’t make that play.
Who are these players making great plays? Are these really the Yankees?
Goldie!
[77] They secretly replaced the Yankees with major league players.
[75]. What would it have looked like if they called it safe/trap? Glad they made the correct call.
So if you paid a thousand bucks to sit behind the plate for this game, how would you feel if Mr. Met and his gigantic head came down to sit in front of you? How do they even allow that?
Phew.
Yay, a win!