Haven't blogged in a while and since it is just after the All-Star Break I thought I would break down the Yankees so far this season and see where they stand and where improvement needs to be made.
Offense: A-
This is one of the most productive offensives in the entire league scoring 502 runs so far. While everyone knows you can't expect to win a World Series title with just offense scoring an average of over 5 runs a game can't hurt.
The biggest issue with the offense so far has been CONSISTENTLY getting hits in big spots. The team sometimes seems to live or die by the home run and this works a fair amount of the time at the new Yankee Stadium because of how many balls fly out of that place. On the road however, more situational hitting is necessary and the Yankees need to do that on a regular basis. One other note: the team needs to be able to hit young pitchers they haven't seen before.
Defense: B
Nothing too special here except for Mark Teixeira. The team currently has a .986 fielding percentage, the 11th best in the majors. The Yankees rarely seem to get on the highlight film but they make a good deal of quality plays. Mark Teixeira has been a revelation at first base and Melky has played especially well in the outfield. Robinson Cano is turning into a slick second baseman. All in all, defense is definitely not a weakness for this squad and shouldn't lose them too many ball games down the stretch.
Starting Pitching: B
There have definitely been ups and downs with the starting staff in the first half of the season. Burnett has been streaky but recently has usually found a way to keep the team in the game. CC had been great but seemed to struggle a bit leading up to the All-Star Break. Andy Pettitte needs to figure out how to pitch in Yankee Stadium and to avoid the big inning and throwing 100 pitches in 5 innings.
And then of course there is Joba Chamberlain. He has struggled mightily since his gem against Cleveland at the beginning of June. He can't seem to get hitters out quickly and he is ususally in a 3-2 count. It seems as if he is becoming predictable at times and can't throw strikes consistently. More worrisome is his velocity. His fastball ranges from 90-93 mph and sometimes will hit 95 towards the later innings. What happened to the 98-99mph we saw in the bullpen last year? Now, it cannot be expected he can do that consistently as a starter but he should be 94-96 consistently. Did the arm problem he have at the end of last year have an effect?
The biggest question mark is what about the 5th starter with Wang on the DL. The Yanks will give Mitre a try on Tuesday and go from there. Hughes will stay in the bullpen (more on him in a future blog)
Bullpen: B-
The reason I am giving them a B- is because other than Aceves, Hughes, and Rivera, no one else can be trusted to give you a quality inning with no runs allowed. Phil Coke had been good but has faltered and it seems as though he is lights out or cant get anyone out. Roberston is young and inexperienced. Brian Bruney can't seem to find what he had before his injury.
At this point, the Yankees could desparately need another quality arm in the bullpen.
Bench: C
There really is no bench for the Yankees. The Eric Hinske addition is definitely a big boost but other than that you have Cody Ransom, Brett Gardener, and Jose Molina. Ransom is useless off the bench and so is Molina. The only positive is Brett Gardener since he can steal a base easily. Another veteran hitter (back-up infeilder) might be good to trade for.
Overall: B+
More consistency is needed overall. But the Yankees look like they have enough to make the playoffs, either as the division winner or the wild card.
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