After a pretty nice start to the season, winning a series against Boston and then splitting with a tough Toronto squad, the Yankees pulled into Baltimore for what should have been an easy three-and-out in the newly refurbished, fences-pushed-back Camden Yards.
Think again.
For the Bombers, it was anything but the one-sided slugfest they hoped for. They dropped two to the O’s, who are likely to sit at the bottom of the divisional barrel once more this year.
The nail in the coffin: a 5-0 shutout-for-a-loss in a game where Nestor Cortes, Jr. struck out a career-high 12 batters in five innings of work.
Like in past years, the problem doesn’t lie with their pitching; it has been phenomenal. Rather now, it’s the Yankee’s lukewarm offensive showing.
Their bats have produced 30 runs in 10 games, the Yankees’ worst start to a season by run total since 1977, according to Talkin’ Yanks’ Katie Sharp. As of Tuesday, they have only outscored three MLB teams all month: the Orioles, the Kansas City Royals, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Each is in last place and has only compiled three wins.
With the moves they made this shortened offseason, and in past years, the franchise has provided manager Aaron Boone the tough task of drawing from 10 options to fill a nine-man lineup; a burden YES announcer Michael Kay refers to on his afternoon drive ESPN radio show with tongue-in-cheek intention as “Rest Roulette.”
Newcomers Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson have struggled at their new home, as has sophomore Yankee Joey Gallo, still striking out way too much and not even delivering the extra-base hits he says he’s built and paid to. Aaron Judge has put together a slow start in the wake of his contract negotiation fallout. And, for a third straight season, no one has been able to pinpoint what exactly happened to once-prized player on the rise, Gleyber Torres.
After 2019, Torres seemed poised to become one of the best players in all of baseball. That season, he smashed 38 home runs, hit a respectable .278, and played a lockdown second-base. The Yankees were confident they had their man of the future to build around.
Then, 2020 hit. As Covid came through the door, Torres and his success seemed to walk right out it. At the time, General Manager Brian Cashman chalked it up to Torres possibly not being in shape because of the Covid stop-and-starts; however, in 2021, it grew exceptionally worse. His power numbers suffered immensely as he moved from second base to shortstop full-time, until it ultimately appeared as if he lost his defensive confidence altogether.
Coming into 2022, the Yankees traded for Kiner-Falefa to play shortstop and allowed Torres to move back to second, where he used to thrive offensively. Although less than two weeks in, the maneuver has not worked; Torres is still struggling mightily on both sides of the ball, leaving fans wondering – where did he go?
At the plate, Torres appears to be trying to pull everything and make up for long-lost power with instantly restored glory. YES color commentator Paul O’Neill pointed that out on the broadcast during the Baltimore set. A team Torres once tormented can now effortlessly neutralize him; if he’s not hurt, then it’s because he’s in his head – another issue entirely.
Torres is not the sole problem, just a standout one. Will the lineup “musical chairs” continue, or will Torres get benched or traded? Don’t believe what you hear; the games now mean just as much as the games in September; players cannot take forever to get going – especially when there are other players in the locker room and in the minors waiting in the wings.
The Yankees have options, but something has to click eventually; otherwise, $250 million “frugally” spent will go truly right down the drain.
