The Yankees’ offensive consistency is one of the few things that the team needs to look at correcting as this season goes on. While it sounds easier than it really is, the Yankees need to develop a consistent team-wide approach to scoring runs each and every game. I’m not expecting the team to win every game, that is like asking for a million dollars in exchange for a nickel.
However, I am asking for a more leveled approach and one that isn’t so “all or nothing.” Even with their sixth straight series win over Texas, the offense clearly struggled over the weekend. Across three games, they only managed to score 5 runs. For a team with this much talent, it should be closer to 5 runs per game, not per series.
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Over the course of the Yankees’ 11-game win streak, the team was lighting up the scoreboard and scored more runs than anyone in the league in that span. We discussed on Fireside Yankees how there really weren’t any gripes with this team and that they are playing an extremely fun brand of baseball.
Fast forward ahead another few games, and of course, the three delays, and it seems like the team is back to where they were early season. I’m not expecting any of the elite players to struggle much longer, as Donaldson is especially just itching to break out. The Law of Averages suggests that those who are not great will come back down to earth, and vice versa for those struggling, so I believe that some guys will turn it around in a big way. Even many Yankees’ ‘fans’ least favorite player, Joey Gallo, has done his job to silence the haters. Last eight games, Gallo is slashing .285 / .400 / .438 – good for a .838 OPS.
Yankees with RISP continue to be below average, as according to TeamRankings, they have left 3.33 runners in scoring position per game this season. That number ranks as the eighth-worst in baseball, just beating out Toronto’s 3.37. That number has ballooned up to right around four a game in the last four games. It is as fundamental of a solution as they come, and that is that in order to win games, you have to score more runs. New York has been scoring runs, sometimes at will, but as a whole, still are struggling to get those needed insurance runs in close games early on.
Yet, there’s not much to complain about when one steps back and looks at this team across the board. Their 119 wRC+ is the best in baseball, and they sit second in the league with a .326 team wOBA, plus lead the league with 37 home runs thus far. Simply put, the Yankees continue to thrive, even with a few minor kinks in the armor. Luckily, while the offense continues to figure it out, the pitching has been lights out. From the emergence of Mike King in the bullpen to every starter in the rotation performing exceptionally well, this team is here to make some noise this year. The Yankees are also the first AL team to claim the coveted 20th win of the year, as they now sit at 20-8 on the season.