The Pinstripes are obviously not living up to their (admittedly) lofty expectations this season. Here are a few reasons why the New York Yankees are underperforming.
Reasons Why the New York Yankees are Under-performing
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries
This is the most glaring of all the evils facing the Empire this season. Didi Gregorius was already expected to miss a healthy (no pun intended) portion this season. What was not expected was the unhealthy (I’m sorry) rash of injuries that have since struck the team. Franchise cornerstones Miguel Andujar, Luis Severino, and Gary Sanchez are all currently on the Injured List. Former MVP Giancarlo Stanton is on the Injured List. In fact, the Yankees have enough players to field a full injured lineup, that is arguably better than their healthy teammates. When these players get back healthy, the team will definitely be rising in the standings.
Pitching Woes
The Yankees biggest need this offseason was their pitching, and they succeeded in their endeavors. Acquiring James Paxton and Adam Ottavino while resigning J.A. Happ and Zack Britton, among other things, helped this tremendously. But all of the hype has since turned downhill, with ace Severino and top bullpen arm Dellin Betances going down almost immediately to injury. The rest of the pitching staff hasn’t performed up to their expectations. After the Ottavino signing, the bullpen was being hailed as one of the best ever. This “best ever” bullpen has accumulated an ERA over 4.00, with key setup man Chad Green holding an unseemly 9.95 ERA. Most worrying, though, is that slinger Aroldis Chapman hasn’t been able to get his velocity as high as usual. All of these factors can lead to a very disappointing season if gone unchecked.
Young People These Days
Due to the rash of injuries and poor pitching, General Manager Brian Cashman has been forced to call up a string of untested players and put them into important roles. Players like Gio Urshela and Clint Frazier have gotten almost daily starting jobs, while pitchers Joe Harvey and Jonathan Loaisiga have been compelled into very intense pitching situations. All of these players have performed admirably for the circumstances that they were put into, but that won’t last long. Mike Tauchman, for example, has been very streaky when he’s played. On April 3rd he went 0-3 with three strikeouts. This was followed by a demolition of the arch-nemesis Boston Red Sox. Stephen Tarpley is another example. After being called up last year and making it to the playoff roster, he has a terrifying 6.00 ERA in four games this season.
Last Word
Despite all of their hardships, the Yankees have had some bright spots. Luke Voit continued his incredible 2018 as one of the most prolific hitters. Gleyber Torres has taken a leadership role and helped out all along the field. Most of these problems are easily fixable. The injuries will take time to heal, but once everyone comes back the Bombers will be a force to be reckoned with, maybe with a chance to win their first pennant since 2009.
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