Close Article Return to stream X
MLB

New York Yankees Are Winning Because of Power Hitting

+Read full article
Andy Marlin, USA TODAY SPORTS

Andy Marlin, USA TODAY SPORTS

The 2015 season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers were supposed to be finding a new way to win this season after recent retirements by Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.

But as the old saying goes, New York doesn’t rebuild, they reload. And while this group of Yankees is certainly not close to the most talented team that New York has put on the field in the last 20 years, they continue to get the job done.

New York topped the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 8-2 on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium to move six games over .500 on the season. With the win, the Yankees also remained in first place in the American League East.

This Yankees team does not do many things exceptionally well. The pitching staff ranks in the middle of the American League in most categories. And the hitting stats are not great, with one notable exception.

The thing that New York has done well so far this season is to hit for power. The Yankees rank second in the American League in home runs, runs batted in and slugging percentage.

While the power is a team effort, it’s two of New York’s veteran players who are supplying a good percentage of that power. Mark Teixeira, the 35-year-old first baseman, is second in the American League with 17 home runs this season. And the bigger surprise has been 39-year-old designated hitter Alex Rodriguez, who has 11 homers on the season.

It remains to be seen if these players can stay healthy and keep hitting for power. If they can, the Yankees will surprisingly be in contention for the AL East title.

Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Your Favorites