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5 Reasons Why New York Yankees Will Not Win It All
5 Reasons Why The New York Yankees Will Not Win It All
The New York Yankees have had a tumultuous season. They have been as far as 10 games out of a spot and as close as one in the past two months. They have seen it all.
They made the most significant trading deadline move when they brought in Alfonso Soriano from the Chicago Cubs. He has averaged nearly a RBI per game since he came over to New York. They have dealt with a multitude of injuries throughout the season, including ones to their captain Derek Jeter, their star first baseman Mark Teixeira and their former MVP candidate center fielder Curtis Granderson, among others.
They have dealt with every issue that teams way below .500 deal with, yet they are somehow still in the race. The deficit at this point seems to be too much, as the Yankees are 3.5 games back of the Wild Card with five teams in total in front of them. With only nine games left, it seems like a gap much too insurmountable.
The fact that the Yankees even came to this point in what most call the hardest division in baseball is exceptional. You would think with the injuries that the Yankees saw, and the drama and media pressure they endure on a daily basis, that they would be a scrap heap team. Yet they find themselves seven games above .500. Most Yankees fans won't like this, but playoffs or no playoffs, you have to be proud of this team. By the way, it is going to end up being no playoffs.
5. Ran Out Of Gas
When every game feels like game seven of a playoff series, it starts to get to you. When that feeling starts to come up in August, then it will eventually be too much. The Yankees have had to go on multiple runs throughout the season to keep themselves in the playoff race. They have dealt with countless amounts of drama between the injuries, the scrap heap pickups, and of course Alex Rodriguez. Mentally, a team cannot take that kind of punishment in a game that is as mental as any sport. The pressure will end up being too much to handle, and the Yankees will crumble down the stretch.
4. The Bullpen
The bullpen for the Yankees is usually a strength. They send out a one-two punch of Mariano Rivera and David Robertson, which may be the best in the league. They have been great on a large scale, but they seem to have instances where they are very bad. You can look to the three saves in a row Rivera blew as proof. Then there are the players behind them. Joba Chamberlain has been a disgrace to baseball, period. The rest of the bullpen makes every Yankees fan wish their starting pitcher could last past six innings.
3. Leadoff and Second Hitter
No Derek Jeter. No Brett Gardner. Ichiro Suzuki is in his worst season of his career. The Yankees are having trouble finding someone worthy who can hit second, let alone someone to lead off. Their current leadoff man has a OBP of under .300. The injuries at the top of the lineup has hurt them more than has been recorded. Jeter hit .316 last season. That is a ton of baserunners that aren't there for the sluggers. There are only four teams in the AL who have scored less runs than the Yankees. That is directly linked to the lack of baserunners. They rank 28th in the majors in total bases. It is remarkable they made it this far with these stats.
2. The Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have not owned the Yankees like this in a very long time. New York went 5-14 against the Red Sox this year. If they went 9-10 instead, then the Yankees would currently be in the lead for the Wild Card. The Red Sox are the Yankees' kryptonite this season. It is a sharp contrast to what happened last season. The Yankees sure do miss Bobby Valentine. Clay Buchholz has been especially dominant, having three wins against no losses. If the Yankees were able to figure this team out even a little, they would have been in much better shape.
1. Starting Pitching
When your $25 million ace has a record that is one win above .500, then the rest of the staff must be in bad shape. When your most reliable starter has an ERA over five in the past two months, then every night is a struggle. When the only guy you can somewhat rely on is a 41-year old Andy Pettitte, then it isn't going to be an easy season. The pitching staff makes every night nail-biter, and not in a good way. There are no nights in which Yankees fans can be confident they will get a win.
