The New York Yankees Far Surpassed First Half Expectations

New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu
May 29, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) watches his solo home run against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

At 57-31 halfway through the season, the New York Yankees have far surpassed expectations set once players went down with injuries.

Losing guys like Miguel Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Severino, and Dellin Betances had people thinking that the Yankees wouldn’t do much.

People also expected Luke Voit to have a downfall, but that never happened. He responded by hitting .280 and being on pace for 95 RBIs. Nobody thought that Gio Urshela would bat .300, but he has.

Nobody thought that Domingo German would be effective as a starter. But, his 10-2 record says otherwise.

People also thought that Tommy Kahnle may never regain his velocity. He did however, and is in the midst of his best professional season.

And the biggest one is that who would’ve thought that DJ LeMahieu would wind up being a serious MVP candidate in the American League. He has bat over .330 and almost .500 with RISP.

What the Yankees have done in the first half of the 2019 season is incredible. They have absolutely beat up on AL East opponents, and the Red Sox have beat the Yankees just once so far.

After the all-star break, the Yankees return home to start a 10 game homestand. Two of the three teams they will face are from the AL East, so it’s important to start the second half right by picking up divisional wins.