The New York Yankees have continued to win despite dealing with several injuries to major stars. The Yankees are currently 14-11 and are just two games out of first place. Currently, the Yankees have eleven players on the injured list some of which are their best players. Only the depth of the Yankee organization has saved them. But even that depth is getting tested as the injuries continue to pile up.
What Has Gone Right
Perhaps the biggest reason the Yankees are in second place is the teams they have played thus far. Four of the their first six opponents have records at .500 or below. Additionally, the Yankees also swept a mini two-game series against the Boston Red Sox who have struggled out of the gate defending their championship. The only team the Yankees faced that has a winning record is the Houston Astros, who swept the Yankees in a three-game series. This shows how deep and talented a roster the Yankees have when even with all the injuries they are dealing with, they still have the ability to win games.
Key Additions Leading The Way
DJ LeMahieu was signed very late in the offseason and his role was not defined. But his value was the ability to play multiple infield positions. The Yankees already had Didi Gregorius on the injured list. But early in the season when Miguel Andujar and Troy Tulowitzki went down with injuries the Yankees were left with only LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres as reliable everyday players for three positions. LeMahieu has spent the first part of the season moving between second and third base and has been very steady offensively.
James Paxton was the other big acquisition for the Yankees. In trading one of their top pitching prospects to get Paxton the question was raised if the Yankees got the ace pitcher they were seeking. After three starts the answer was no, but the last two starts for Paxton have been great. He has not allowed a run in 14 innings over those two starts both Yankee wins. With a team dealing with so many injuries having a pitcher throw blanks is just what is needed.
Building On 2018 Season
The two players that had breakout seasons in 2018 are Gleyber Torres and Luke Voit. Torres was supposed to be a stud player who was going to be able to develop into the star he is destined to be within the Yankees’ galaxy of stars. The injuries have elevated him to being one of the top guys early in this season and he has delivered. Voit was a surprise addition last season and he provided a lot of spark for this team. While his home run pace is below last year’s Voit has been a steady presence in this Yankee lineup who has started to heat up again. Both Torres and Voit have played in every game this season.
The Yankee pitching staff, on the whole, has been good with the tenth best team ERA in baseball. What has been surprising has been how well the starting rotation has pitched. The bullpen was supposed to be the unit that carried the Yankees but we must give the starting pitching it’s due. Even with ace pitcher Luis Severino facing a prolonged absence, the starting rotation has been very good. CC Sabathia returned from the injured list to pitch very effectively. Masahiro Tanaka has pitched well for all six of his starts. Even the fill-in pitchers such as Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga have been great. The only starter with an ERA over 4.00 is J.A. Happ. But he has been better in his last two starts.
Yankees Outlook
At some point, the Yankees expect to get the bulk of their injured players back. In the meantime, the Yankees will welcome playing the weaker opponents on their schedule. The recent six-game winning streak stabilized this team and lessened the need to make any major moves. You can’t ask the Yankees to have any better record with so many all-star players out of the lineup. There will be some good to come out of this. The younger players are establishing themselves and the Yankee are learning how to win games despite dealing with so many injuries.
The Red Sox slow start also plays into this. The Red Sox are expected to eventually start winning games. There is no way to know how the Yankee management would have reacted if the Red Sox started this season like they did last year. The Yankees are continuing to win games and now have a weekend series in San Francisco against the Giants who are also below .500.
Will the Yankees have to deal with more injuries and will they be able to overcome anything in their way? Time will tell.
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