4 Things Yankees: 137 Down, 25 To Go

137 GAME ROLLER COASTER RIDE
On June 12, the New York Yankees shut out the Kansas City Royals, 1-0, to improve their record to 42-25. They then flew to Boston with a 4 ½ game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays and a 9 ½ game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East. As a point of reference, they were just two games behind the MLB-leading New York Mets.

On August 10, the Yankees lost 7-1 to the Houston Astros, concluding a 51-game slide in which they went 20-31. The Yankees stood 6 ½ games behind the Blue Jays and 2 ½ games behind the Red Sox in the AL East at 62-56.

On August 31, the Yankees lost 1-0 to the Chicago White Sox, snapping their season-high seven-game win streak. The loss dropped the Yankees to 76-61, 3 games behind the Blue Jays and a ½ game ahead of the Red Sox. As a point of reference, to illustrate how much things can change, they are now three games ahead of the Mets — who are now MLB’s 12^th best team heading into September.

Everyone gets frustrated when Aaron Boone answers a question about the ebbs and flows of a player’s season by simply saying “baseball”.

He’s not wrong, it’s a long, long, long season.

DAMN THE TORPEDOS
Want proof that it is a long, long, long season?

Way back on March 30, the Yankees were being accused of ruining the game of baseball. Detractors predicted they’d shatter home run records, and Anthony Volpe was going to “cheat” his way into an all-star season.

How’s that working out?

THE CHICKEN PARM GUYS
Speaking of those torpedo bats, remember back in spring training when expectations were sky high for Anthony Volpe? The 24-year-old was coming off a post-season performance where he batted .286, with a .407 OBP and a .815 OPS. Meanwhile, his good friend Austin Wells, 26, was heading into his second season after finishing third to teammate Luis Gil in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Expectations were met that opening weekend, when the Yankees swept the Milwaukee Brewers by a combined score of 36 to 14 leading to Dave Portnoy’s meltdown. Volpe finished the series with 2 homers and 4 RBIs, while Wells had 2 homers and 3 RBIs. Seemingly, the Yankees were set at shortstop and catcher for years to come.

Five months later, both players have been major disappointments. Volpe is losing playing time to Jose Caballero and is being sporadically booed by the same Yankees fans that fell in love with him as a rookie. While Wells is now splitting time with fellow lefty Ben Rice, who is alternating between catcher and first base.

Here are their batting stats with team ranks:

Putting aside homers and RBIs, Volpe and Wells have taken a surprising step back to the point where they are no longer locks to be long-term starters at their position. Volpe is going to eventually have to hold off 20-year-old George Lombard, Jr. who flew through rookie and A ball, before leveling off at AA this year and will need at least one more year of seasoning. Wells is probably secretly hoping Rice ends up being the Yankees full-time first baseman in the near future.

These last 25 games not only will determine the Yankees playoff fates, but they could also determine the immediate future of these two young Yankees.

25 GAMES SPRINT
According to ESPN, the Yankees have a 98.9% chance of making the playoffs. But these last 25 games, especially the next four series with Houston, Toronto, Detroit and Boston will go a long way toward deciding who wins the AL East, and playoff seeding.

137 down, 25 to go. Anything can happen.

Baseball.

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