June 9, 2024
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Here are some quick thoughts from the weekend, thus far...
One of the biggest fears of many Yankees fans is that in the biggest moments, the Yankees come up small. This has been their pattern for many years. The big bats fall silent. The manager makes the wrong moves. The Yankees fall short. It's happening again...
The concern is that the Yankees won't be able to beat the very best teams - the ones they'll face in the playoffs. So far, in 2024, that's 100% true. Against the two best teams the Yankees have faced, the Yankees are 1-5 in six games. They lost 3 of 4 games to the Orioles and both games, thus far, against the Dodgers.
After last season, amid all the angst and upset with the Yankees' poor performance, and the promise that they would do a deep dive into what ails them, the big takeaway the Yankees shared with the fans was that they were going to... bunt more! They haven't. But, in the biggest moment of the year, the one time when a bunt would have given them the biggest chance to win the game, on Friday night, the team's worst hitter couldn't bunt. That is a problem. If you're going to claim to have a brand new strategy, when that strategy needs to work... it needs to work. It didn't.
It is clear that Juan Soto has been the difference maker on the Yankees. Without him, it simply isn't the same team. At all. If Juan Soto is out for any extended time, the Yankees could be in huge trouble.
I have said this for years, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton should never hit back-to-back. Good right-handed pitchers, especially good relief pitchers, can get them both out with the same type of stuff. Having them hitting back-to-back makes things too easy for opposing managers.
The Yankees bullpen is shallow and a weak spot on the team. Against the best teams (again) the weak bullpen is exposed. This needs to be addressed or the playoffs (which the Yankees should make) will be a quick stop for the Yankees (again).
When Aaron Boone used Clay Holmes for only 10 pitches on Friday night, it was an example of how he makes the wrong decisions. If given the chance to win a game, you win that game. The idea that Holmes was being overworked in that spot just isn't accurate considering two undeniable truths: (1) He had thrown only 10 pitches (2) he doesn't pitch three consecutive games (so he would have the next day off anyway). As it turned out, the Yankees got clobbered yesterday, even if there was the potential temptation before the game (in theory) to use him, it would have never come. In a big spot, with a shallow bullpen, Aaron Boone took out the best pitcher he had.
In the biggest games, Aaron Boone has never demonstrated the ability to think on the fly and to make decisions that put the Yankees in the best chance to win. In fact, the bigger the moment, the more tense the situation, the more he seems to rely on hope. Hoping that Giancarlo Stanotn would get a big hit, or Anthony Rizzo, or DJ LeMahieu, on Friday nightm when all three can (easily) be overmatched, is an example of this. I can't recall when Aaron Boone has made a bold decision in a big spot that helped the Yankees win a big game. Ever. (I am open to readers sharing examples of when this has happened.)
For the Yankees to be a playoff powerhouse, they're going to need to address the many weaknesses on the team. First, they have to hope Juan Soto is healthy. Next, they have to hope that Jasson Dominguez can come up and be not just an okay MLB player, but a very good one. Then they also need to address first base, third base, and the bullpen - not to mention second base, which is also a concern.
I feel badly for Gleyber Torres, this season was his chance to shine and get a huge payday. He has failed miserably in that regard. He's making fielding errors. His bat has not been there for most of the season. He hasn't done anything to make a team say, "Yes, there is a player who deserves a big time long term contract."
This is a make-or-break season for the Yankees. If Hal Steinbrenner complains about costs and the Yankees come up small, after showing so much promise, it will be clear what the team's priorities are - and it is not winning a championship. The Yankees can't continually talk big and then come up small. It is going to require some big time trades to address the team's weaknesses. This could be a special year, but if the Yankees start counting dollars, they won't win.
On a very positive note, Apple-TV deserves credit for making Friday night's game available to the fans in New York and Los Angeles. That was a bold move. It was the correct move. It was a move that considered the fans' needs. We don't see that a lot, if ever. Good for Apple-TV.
Regarding Soto's injury, let's not forget the following - Aaron Boone said he's been playing hurt for weeks. Last year the Yankees played Jose Trevino for months knowing he had a bad wrist. He needed surgery. Last year the Yankees played Anthony Rizzo for months - after he had a concussion. Once he finally sat, he never returned to the lineup. Jasson Dominguez complained of arm pain the first series he played in once he was called-up. He needed Tommy John Surgery. That's not a good track record - in fact, it's horrible. Remember, from above, the big take-away from the organization as they looked back at 2023 was, "We are going to bunt more."
There is still a lot of 2024 to go. This is a talented, but flawed team. A great owner would allow his general manger to make the moves needed to win. A great General Manager would be able to make the moves that makes the team demonstratively better. A great manager would be able to make the line-up, pitching, and in-game decisions to put his team in the best possibility to win games. Unfortunately, for the entire Aaron Boone Era, we haven't seen those three things coming together. Again, they can. They should. A championship cab be there for the Yankees in 2024, if they have the guts, the willingness, and the brains.
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