With the MLB season already halfway over, it’s time to take a look back at the Yankees’ three-plus months of play so far. While they do sit in first place in the AL East for the moment with a 44-37 record, it’s been tough sledding just to get there. Inconsistent play has been marked by injuries to key players, such as Jacoby Ellsbury (.324 average before going on the DL) and Andrew Miller (17-17 in save opportunities before his injury). The rotation has been shaky as well, and their best performer, Adam Warren, was pushed into the bullpen after the return of Ivan Nova.
Through it all, this team has shown poise in the face of adversity thus far, and have relied on other key contributors to fill the voids and keep the winning tradition alive in 2015. Let’s take a look at the overall performance of the offense, pitching staff, defense, and coaching staff:
Offense: The Yankees are second in the MLB in runs, behind the super-powered Toronto Blue Jays. They also average almost 5 runs per game, showing that they can regularly give their pitching some breathing room. Home runs are the main source of offensive production for the Yankees, as they have hit 106 homers to date. While they only sport a .256 batting average, they’re OBP is good for 7th in the MLB, and when they get on base, they stay there, as the Yankees have only grounded into 53 double plays through 80 games. No singular player has taken control this season after Ellsbury went down. Brett Gardner is hitting .300, Mark Teixeira has 20 homers and Alex Rodriguez has 46 RBI to pace this potent attack, easily the most impressive part of the Yankees season to date. Grade: A-
Pitching: Oh boy. The Yankees’ 4.03 ERA is 21st in the MLB, which is certainly not good. Other than that, the team stats don’t show how inconsistent this staff has been because the bullpen has been fantastic. In the starting rotation, it’s hard to say that any of them have been great thus far. CC Sabathia has an ERA upwards of 5.50, and only one starter that has been in the rotation all year has an ERA under 4 (Warren). That bullpen, though, has been mighty impressive. When Miller went down, Dellin Betances stepped in and his new role closing out wins hasn’t affected him at all. He holds a 1.11 ERA and 7 saves to date. Chasen Shreve has a 1.87 ERA and Justin Wilson has allowed 18 hits in 28.2 innings. It’s almost like a Jekyll and Hyde case; the starters are disappointing and the bullpen is surprising. Grade: C
Defense: After acquiring Didi Gregorius, and re-signing Chase Headley and Stephen Drew, the Yankees’ defense should be top-notch. However, they’ve committed the 7th-most errors in the MLB to date. Headley has committed an ungodly 16 errors, and Gregorius has made 9. The lone bright spot, as usual, has been Teixeira. He has made only 2 errors in 74 games thus far. While the pitching has been bad, they certainly haven’t been helped by the defense. Grade: D+
Coaching: While he’s made some questionable decisions this year, Joe Girardi isn’t getting the credit he deserves. He has misused his bullpen at times, and doesn;t make full use of his 25-man roster, but he’s winning with an ever-aging core and has pushed all the right buttons so far. He has also done an excellent job of keeping A-Rod out of the spotlight for the wrong reasons all year. It will be interesting to see how he handles this team in a division race that could technically start right after the All-Star break. Grade: B
Now for some individual awards:
MVP:Â Brett Gardner- .300 BA, 21 doubles out of the leadoff spot to keep the offense clicking while we wait for Ellsbury to return. Honorable Mention: Dellin Betances, Mark Teixeira.
Cy Young:Â Dellin Betances- A reliever, I know, but the rotation hasn’t done anything special and he’s been lights out. 66 K’s in 40.2 innings. Honorable Mention: Adam Warren, Andrew Miller.
Comeback Player:Â Mark Teixeira- It would have been easy to say A-Rod, but pundits were saying he should retire last offseason after a dismal 2014 and injury-plagued 2013. Now he has 20 homers after hitting 22 all of last year. Batting average at .245 after hitting .216 in 123 games last year. Honorable Mention: Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran.
Rock-Solid Reliever:Â Chasen Shreve- A young gun who has outperformed expectations in 29 games. 0.92 WHIP, 1.87 ERA. Honorable Mention: Justin Wilson, Andrew Miller.
