Yankees Have So Much To Improve, But What’s Their Biggest Hurdle?

This season, the New York Yankees appeared to be one of the most probable candidates for a World Series championship, but things have changed. This season, the Yankees have suffered with a slew of ailments in addition to dismal output. New York still has a chance to make up the distance in the rankings and even earn a Wild Card position, but it appears improbable at this point. Furthermore, the Yankees did not add any firepower to their underperforming attack at the trade deadline.

Yankees Have So Much To Improve, But What’s Their Biggest Hurdle?

Nothing against them, but it will take a lot to make the Yankees into contenders again. Let’s face it: not even a guaranteed Cy Young season from Cole and another excellent year (or two-thirds of a fantastic year) from superstar Aaron Judge will be enough to put them in contention. Their dismal number was two coming into Saturday, but elimination was delayed by rain for the sixth time.

Now comes the actual problem: they can’t hit. Yes, they still homer now and again (Judge, of course), but they have the lowest batting average of any big league club.

Technically, the squad that hopes to go to Las Vegas has a lower 224. However, the Athletics should not be considered because they clearly did not attempt this year (or, at the very least, their owner did not try).

In any case, disregard them. The Yankees are at 226, their lowest record since 1968, when no one hit, and an unusually disgraceful figure for any team, let alone the most successful American franchise in any sport.

It is critical to recognize that the Yankees have a long road ahead of them if they are to recover their standing as contenders. Even outstanding efforts by ace pitcher Gerrit Cole and slugger Aaron Judge were insufficient to propel them into contention this season. In fact, they were on the verge of being eliminated from postseason contention, with their dismal number standing at just two when weather delays postponed their destiny.

The Yankees’ most serious problem, however, is their inability to hit regularly. Despite a few home runs, they have the lowest batting average of any big league club. The Oakland Athletics, who are now in second-to-last position, may be removed from this debate because it appears they were not aiming for success this year.

While the hire of Sean Casey as hitting coach at the All-Star break was viewed positively, it’s evident that the team’s hitting issues may be more serious than a mid-season coaching change can address. The focus on launch angle and exit velocity appears to have convinced everyone on the club that they are home run hitters, resulting in a set of underwhelming stats.

The Yankees have a lot of work to do, but this season’s troubles may only be the beginning, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

“You think the Yankees’ problems are bad right now? Wait until next season,” Kuty said. “Not only did the Yankees not address this year’s roster, they did nothing to fix any of the problems facing them for 2024. For all the signs the Yankees say they have seen that (D.J. LeMahieu), (Giancarlo Stanton), and (Anthony Rizzo) can snap out of their season-long malaise, they’ve shown just as many reasons that each might just be in the decline phase of their careers. Stanton is hitting under .200 and he can’t run. Rizzo has only hit one home run in the last two months. LeMahieu is striking out more than ever and, when he’s not, he’s smashing the ball into the ground.”

 

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