A Critical Look at the Yankees

by James Vlietstra

July 12, 2025

***

NOTE - This article was written before last night's game. As such, the stats reflect the time before the game was played.

***

What a difference a month makes.

I was just reviewing an article I wrote about five weeks ago. The Yankees, at that time, had a 99% chance of making the playoffs and 17.9% chance to win the World Series. As of Sunday, those numbers plummeted to 85 & 8.  They had a 6.5 game lead in the division and had 11 players with a WAR of 1.0 or higher. They still have 11 players with a WAR of 1+, but now they’re three games out of first.

Not to say that these events are linked or that Pablo Reyes is a better player than Giancarlo Stanton, but the skid started on June 13, Stanton came off the IL on June 16. Reyes got very little playing time, Stanton plays daily. So players like Ben Rice are playing less. Could it be like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole? Well, their record between June 13 and July 6 was 7-16, so you tell me. 

Obviously, since I started this article, things have turned around. The Yankees just moments ago won their fourth consecutive game. But this is the story about how they got to this point. How rumblings about Boone’s job security started. And how a player, once nicknamed the Machine by his legions of fans, was released with over $20M still owes to him. 

All the stats I’m going to provide are from the dates mentioned earlier (6-13–>7-6). Also some of the WAR numbers are from memory as they don’t provide them on Baseball Reference along with the rest of the stats. 

Austin Wells  .192/.232/.346/.578  Year to Date WAR 0.4    Ironically it was supposed to be his bat that carried him to success. I think his WAR was at 0.8 back in June so he definitely needs to turn it around and start hitting. 

Paul Goldschmidt  .172/.232/.313/.544 YTD WAR 1.6   His WAR was roughly the same six weeks ago. His overall numbers are not bad, and his defense at first has been spectacular. However, the Yankees only committed $12.5 to him. Bellinger and Rice could see more time at first. 

DJ LeMahieu .250/.296/.267/.564 YTD WAR 0.7  I was actually shocked when I saw his WAR, especially after missing so much time. He may not be the Machine he once was, but he was hitting ok. However, they tried to play Jazz Chisholm out of position to accommodate LeMahieu's lack of versatility and that hurt the team at two positions. He was reduced to a singles hitter and the team decided to eat more than $20M between now and next season and released him. Ultimately he should be remembered as a great Yankee for his years of contributions to the team. 

Anthony Volpe .148/.231/.259/.490 YTD WAR 1.5  He has really regressed, with a negative WAR over the past six weeks. Does he need some time off?  He’s a home grown player, drafted and developed in the system. I want nothing more than for him to succeed, but this is his third season in the big leagues and patience is wavering. 

Ben Rice  .218/.328/.418/.746 YTD WAR 0.8  Back in early June his WAR was above 1.0, so he has been below replacement level for a six week span. Could it be from losing playing time? The team has used him at catcher to try to keep him in the lineup. 

Jasson Dominguez .338/.378/.515/.893 YTD WAR 1.1  Similar to his time in the minors, his offense heats up with the weather. Batting in the three hole, protecting Judge, is how he can become a superstar and Rookie Of The Year candidate this summer. 

Trent Grisham .284/.360/.478/.838  YTD WAR 2.6   He raised his WAR approximately a full point in the last six weeks. He’s having a career year. At $5M, he’s actually quite a bargain and will be in line to get a hefty free agent contract. With the excess in outfielders, I would be open to dealing him. 

Cody Bellinger  .318/.341/.529/.890 YTD WAR 2.5   He has also raised his WAR over 1 full point in the past six weeks. He could see more time at 1B in the second half. I’m guessing he will opt out and seek a $100M+ contract. 

Jazz Chisholm  .296/.323/.315//.637 YTD WAR 2.4    He raised his WAR about 0.7 in the past six weeks. Now that he’s in his natural position, I expect him to excel. Perhaps the most dynamic Yankees  player since Rickey Henderson, he should be the leadoff hitter. He will also be in line for a hefty free agent contract. The question is do the Yankees let him get away?

Giancarlo Stanton .222/.323/.315/.637 YTD WAR 0  One of the most feared hitter when healthy, he’s still coming back from an injury that cost him the first two and a half months of the season. The Yankees owe him $34M after this year so they will try their best to keep him available for the playoffs. 

Aaron Judge .259/.408/.605/1.013 YTD WAR 6.6  His worst stretch of the season would be a career best stretch for most people, so don’t worry about him. 

Oswald Peraza   The fact that he’s managed to have a zero WAR despite hitting a dismal .151/.219/.252/.470 says his defense is carrying him. I’m expecting an upgrade here very shortly but in the time being, hopefully he runs into a few pitches. 

Max Fried has a 3.6 WAR and has been very consistent and has saved the season after the Cole injury. 

Carlos Rodon has a 2.2 WAR and has been a pleasant improvement over his results last year. 

Clarke Schmidt pitched well of late to join the above 1 WAR players at 1.5. However, he will be out for the next year with Tommy John Surgery. 

Tim Hill is another newcomer to the 1.0 club, currently at 1.1 WAR out of the bullpen. 

Ryan Yarborough was over a 1.0 WAR, but has dropped to 0.7. When healthy, he’s currently a place holder. 

Will Warren’s WAR dropped to -0.2 but has shown signs that he’s a capable Major League pitcher. 

Marcus Stroman has a -0.4 WAR. He’s owed roughly $7M the rest of the season. I see him being released soon., uless he can continue to defy his previous numbers.

Luke Weaver had a WAR of 1.5 six weeks ago and today he sits around 0.6.Their closer needs to get back on track. 

Devin Williams got off to a rough start and his WAR had dropped to around -0.7 so the fact he’s now -0.2 is a nice improvement. 

I believe that the Yankees are too good of a team for a prolonged slump to destroy their season.  I also don’t believe that the Blue Jays are as good as they have recently been.  

Now that the Yankees are getting hot again, hopefully they have contributions from up and down the lineup. They should reclaim their rightful spot at the top of the division. 

There are a couple of changes I would advocate for, especially if Cashman is able to restock the farm system while trading away someone like Grisham. 

I would like to see Jesus Rodriguez get a chance at 3B. 

Spencer Jones has been absolutely scolding hot in AAA lately. I think he could be a spark in the lineup. 

Cam Schlittler proved what he was capable of earlier this week. I hope they give him more opportunities. 

Luis Gil will be coming back to take Stroman’s spot. I would love to see Brendan Beck get three or four starts before that happens and then they’ll know what they have. 

There’s a handful of relief pitchers like Harrison Cohen that could be given a shot before the trade deadline. 

The Amateur Draft is less than a week away. I’m an advocate for allowing teams to trade picks. I also think it’s ridiculous that the Yankees lost Juan Soto to free agency and were awarded nothing, yet they signed Max Fried and lose their 2^nd and 5^th picks. And because they actually spent money, their first pick is dropped from 29 to 39. The Orioles and Rays have a ridiculous advantage during the draft than the Yankees. Maybe next year they’ll get some additional picks for their pending free agents. Maybe they are also able to trade for more IFA pool money at the deadline.