New York Yankees: 3 major takeaways from the Yankees win over the Braves

New York Yankees, Gio Urshela
April 25, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela (29) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees finally pull out a win last night after sliding 5 games in a row that put them as far into the cellar in the America League that you can get. From the aspect that a win is a win, last night’s game shouldn’t be confused with something to celebrate; it wasn’t a pretty win, it wasn’t a win produced by the Yankees, it was a win provided to the Yankees by the Atlanta Braves. The Yankees won the game 3-1.

Taillon had a good start

After a good start and a shaky start, Jameson Taillon performed well in last night’s game. He kept the Yankees in the game allowing only four hits and one earned run across 5 innings of work with five strikeouts. Taillon faced only four more batters than the minimum.

Jameson Taillon came to the New York Yankees via the trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates with the hope that after two Tommy John surgeries that he could return to the pitcher he was before the surgeries; so far, it’s a mixed bag that seems to have an upside to it. His performance last night shows that when the rust shakes off, he could be everything the Yankees could have wanted.

For the most part, the Yankee bullpen has been stellar, headlining Chad Green, Jonathan Loaisga, Justin Wilson, and Aroldis Chapman with a new pitch that may make him the closer the Yankees have always wanted him to be. In five innings of work, he has had 19 pitches registered at 100 mph or more.

Yankee batting is still substandard

Last night’s win is nothing to rejoice about. The fact of the matter is that the Yankees as a team still aren’t hitting, especially considering that they are supposed to be one of the most powerful lineups in baseball. The team in the last sixteen games is batting just .210  with an OPS of .642. If that is isn’t bad enough, the only reason it’s that high is the anchor players in the lineup. The heart of the lineup is pitiful.

What is truly disturbing is that only half of the team is doing their jobs. The team is leaving too many men on base and hitting into too many double plays. In several games, the defense has been downright miserable, not making plays that would be made in high school games. These stats are unexplainable; more than half of the Yankee’s regular lineup is hitting below .200. You don’t win games consistently when more than half of your lineup isn’t being productive.

Those Yankees that are doing their jobs

It still early in the season, and all is not bad. Defense wise last night’s game was free from errors that have plagued Gleyber Torres and others. Even though there were only 5 hits in the game, the Yankees played solid ball.

There are some stand-out players, and it’s not just from last night’s game. Gio Urshela won the game for the New York Yankees with a double and a home run (437′). DJ LeMahieu contributed with two hits and has the highest number of multihit games since 2019. Ushela and LeMahieu have also been defensive standouts. We need to include Kyle Higasioka, who has the team’s highest batting average.

Playing in average mode is Aaron Judge, who leads the team in home runs, Giancarlo Stanton, the team’s only real situational hitter; he has the most RBI’s. Brett Gardner has been the best player out of the dugout. Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier have been absolutely abysmal. I give the team coaching staff an F for not energizing and motivating the team. And that applies to manager Aaron Boone as well. These coaches must inspire the players to play to their considerable abilities as we advance.

Upcoming games

Tonight the New York Yankees will face the Atlanta Braves in the finale game at Yankee Stadium. Corey Kluber will face the Brave’s Ian Aderson at 6:35 pm. Starting on Thursday, they will face the Cleveland Indians in a four-game set. Then a four-game set with the Orioles before returning to the Stadium to face the Tigers and Astros.