The New York Yankees 2023 mid-season report is here with the team bombarded with injuries to both their batters and pitchers that have affected their performance thus far. Currently third in the AL East, the Yankees currently occupy the second wild card spot with a 43-36 record. Despite being seven games over .500, Yankee fans do not seem too thrilled with their team’s performances. More of the frustration is with the struggling offense from their big bats.
According to ESPN’s preseason rankings, the Yankees listed third. They are now listed 12th in MLB’s power rankings, dropping out of the top 10. Because the Bronx Bombers are in a playoff position, they will not plan to be sellers. However, they would need to consider bringing on better bats to their lineup.
Offense
The bats for the New York Yankees have been a key issue this season. They ranked 27th in hits, 19th in runs and have a team average of .228, which is the third worst in the majors. What really affected the team’s offense was the loss of Aaron Judge. Since landing on the IL on June 3, the team has gone 7-11 while scoring 57 runs and allowing 74. They have averaged about three runs per game since June 4.
When Judge came back from the IL the first time, the team averaged about six runs per game, so there is a 50% drop in runs when Judge is not in the lineup. One of the big disappointments now is the bats of Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. Stanton started off the season well, batting around .269 with four home runs and 11 RBIS during the first 13 games. Then a hamstring injury kept him out for a month and a half and since has not been the same.
He has been hitting .121 with just two home runs and threes RBI’s and just seven hits in his last 18 games. Rizzo is a similar story. The first baseman looked like an all-star with 11 home runs and 32 RBI’s while batting .297 for the first two months of the season. Since Judge got hurt, his bat went silent. He has batted .172 and is without a homerun in his last 18 games, dropping his overall average to .272. They’re supposed to be the heart of the offense but have failed to come in clutch in Judge’s absence.
Josh Donalson also continues to disappoint Yankee fans, batting an abysmal .132 average with just seven home runs and nine RBI’s. Despite Anthony Volpe’s early season struggles, he’s been batting better of late with 11 hits and a home run in the last 12 games. It also does not help that they DFA’ed Aaron Hicks, who’s been hot of late with Baltimore. The Yankees should consider bringing on some bats if they want to make a successful push to the playoffs this season, especially with Judge’s timetable for return still up in the air.
Pitching
The pitching has been decent for the New York Yankees, though it could be better. One of the bigger disappointments is Nestor Cortes. Coming off a career best season, he started the season with a 5.16 ERA. He was then placed on the IR in June with a left rotator cuff strain. Also, the six-year 162 million dollar signing Carlos Rodon has yet to make his season debut as he continues to deal with a back issue.
With Gerrit Cole back to his ace-self, he has been holding the front of the pitching staff with an 8-4 record and a 2.7 ERA. Despite early season struggles, Clarke Schmidt has had better outings of late, allowing nine earned runs in his last seven starts. The rookie Jhony Brito is still struggling to keep consistent outings, maintaining a 4-4 record with a 4.70 ERA. Even though the team doesn’t have a designated closer, the bullpen has been one of the best this season.
Wandy Peralta has been nasty against left-handed hitters with a 2.59 ERA. Ron Marinaccio and Michael King have also been impressive as expected, maintaining an ERA of about three. Clay Holmes came into the season as the closer, but it was immediately taken away after his early season struggles. Looks like Holmes is better off not on the closer role, managing to bring his ERA down to 2.50.
Boone Out?
Boone has been under fire by the fans for his coaching decisions and lack of judgement when choosing his lineups. Decisions include pitch hitting Billy McKinney, the team’s hottest hitter, for John Donaldson with the game on the line. Since Boone took over in 2018, the Yankees have made the playoffs each time. However, they seem to struggle when there, especially against the Astros. His main issue is choosing who should be in the lineup.
He continues to stick with Donaldson while leaving IKF out, who’s having a better hitting season than in 2022. A manager change could be in the works for the team if things begin to go South for the team. However, Brian Cashman continues to put faith in him and the players, which only angers Yankee fans even more.
What is on the Bright Side
Yankee fans will continue to look at the struggles but forget to look at the positives. Seems like Aaron Judge could return as early as late July from his toe injury, which will give a big boost to the lineup. IKF has been one of the better hitters for the Yankees, which could be a good sign for a struggling lineup. Volpe has also left his early season funk and is hitting better of late, which means a trip to AAA won’t be an option for the rising star.
Oswaldo Peraza is also tearing it up with Scranton/Wilks-Barre, batting .292 with 11 home runs and 24 RBI’s thus far. This means a future call up is very likely this season. Clay Holmes looks to have returned to his all-star self, allowing only three runs in his last 22 innings pitched. There’s also the debut of Rondon, which could happen before the all-star break that Yankee fans will be excited about. With Cortes likely to return at the same time, this is good news for its starting rotation.
