The Yankees are an even .500 (11-11) since the All Star Break, and for the first time in months, are no longer considered the best team in Baseball. The 22 game stretch since the Mid-Summer Classic has included a 3-9 stretch, a four game sweep at the hands of the Athletics, and a four game home-losing streak against division rivals Boston and Baltimore. The next few weeks will not be any easier for the Yankees; they do not have an off day until the 23rdof August and will play all but one team in playoff contention. If the Yankees are going to lose their 6.5 game division lead, it will most likely happen in this stretch of games. So we polled the bloggers here at BronxPinstripes.com to see if the Yankees are in danger of being overtaken in the AL East.
Suzanne Bange (@SuzanneBange)
Although the Yankees are having a bad run, we definitely have the division this year. Although, I think the Rays have been holding out and will go for a hot run in September to snag a probable wild card (taking into consideration the new format). It’s hard to say, there a lot of divisional matchups in August and September so the Yankees will either pull waaaaaaay ahead or the gap will narrow to a tight pennant race.
Justin Marshall (@JMarshall_10)
Crazier things have happened. I mean just look at the Red Sox and Braves from last year. But it truly is hard for me to envision the Yankees losing this lead going into the last couple months of the season. One reason is simply the division they play in; all the AL East teams will beat up on one another. Any one of the teams right now in the AL East can beat any of the other teams in the division. The other reason I can’t see it is because the Yankees offense is just too powerful. On any given night the Yankees can put up a ton of runs which I think is important come playoff stretch time.
Colin MacNeil (@Colin_NYYU)
I think the Yankees will win the division. The pitching is solid and offense is far superior than any other team in the AL East. And with the addition of Joba in the bullpen, it makes it one of the best in baseball. Come September, when Pettitte and Rodriguez are expected back, the Yankees should have no problem capturing their 18th American League East title.
Gregory Scott (@GScott25)
Though the Yankees have been struggling as of late, they will not be overtaken in the AL East. Baseball is a game of streaks, and sometimes good fortune. The Yankees went on a clear hot streak leading up to the All Star break, and because baseball is a humbling sport, it was only a matter of time before they struggled.
With the addition of Ichiro, and the underrated move of McGehee, the Yankees now have the position player depth to stay fresh and still put up runs. The pitching staff is getting healthier with the addition of Joba to the bullpen and Andy well into his recovery.
I see the Yankees hitting another hot streak in August, getting back their momentum, and securing the AL East with a 100+ win season.
Ryan Nakada (@adakannayr)
With the injuries and about half of the remaining games against AL East opponents, the hold we have atop the AL East could be at jeopardy but I don’t believe it will be. The struggles to hit with runners in scoring position are a huge problem and we cannot depend on home runs to carry us. But I believe unexpected production from the bench has made it more tolerable until injured players like Alex Rodriguez can come back and be a productive part of the team again. The trade for Ichiro was a great stand-in for Brett Gardner as he adds the speed and defense we lost with added veteran qualities. The other factor that could play a big role in maintaining our hold on the AL East is the bullpen. David Phelps, Cody Eppley, and Clay Rapada have earned bigger roles and if they can continue and follow veteran leadership of players like Sabathia, Jeter, and Pettitte when he returns, they could get some big outs that will be key in us getting our 18th division title.
Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer74)
The Yankees will not be overtaken in the AL East for one simple reason: pitching. Their bullpen, even without Mariano Rivera, might be the best in baseball. With Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, Boone Logan, and now Joba Chamberlain at the back of the pen, David Phelps locking down long relief, and an overachieving combination of Cody Eppley and Clay Rapada for a few extra arms, Yankees starters are essentially turning this into a five or six inning game.
While the Angels arguably have the most fearsome rotation in baseball, the Yankees rotation isn’t too shabby either. CC Sabathia matches up with just about any starter in baseball, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes are having great seasons, and Andy Pettite is slated to return in mid-September. For now, it stands to reason that there is no reason to think that they will be overtaken in the American League East, and I believe that the Yankees and Angels are the two best teams in all of baseball.
Rich Kaufman (@RAKcity27)
I don’t think the Yankees will be overtaken. Granted they’ve had a few key injuries, they’ve been resilient all year. They’ll be getting Pettitte back in September and Joba is a good addition to the bullpen. A lot of their remaining games are against the division, so they have a chance to pad their lead even more. They’ve never blown a lead this large and I don’t see it happening in 2012.
So, Yankees fans, what do you think? Sound off in the comment section below…
