After 16 games, the Yankees are 8-8 overall. Should people be overacting or even go into panic mode over the roller coaster start to the season? Let us just pump the breaks a bit as baseball is a 162-game season. It is not a sprint, more like a marathon. Here are a few reasons why people should not overact or go into panic mode regarding the Yankees.
When you have a rotation that features Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, C.C. Sabathia, and Jordan Montgomery, that is a very solid rotation from top-to-bottom. Sabathia’s return should bring some stability to the unit. Besides one bad start in Boston, Severino has been dominant with a 3-1 record, 2.63 ERA, and 28 strikeouts. Tanaka and Gray have been up and down to start the season as both of them have ERAs over five. Look for both players to get back to form and turn it around for the Yankees. Montgomery has been decent posting a 1-0 record with a 4.70 ERA and 12 strikeouts in his second full season for New York.
Last season, the Yankees had one of the most feared bullpens in Major League Baseball with Chad Green, Adam Warren, Chasen Shreve, Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson, Dellin Betances, and fireball throwing closer, Aroldis Chapman. This season they added Jonathan Holder, Domingo German, and Luis Cessa to the number three ranked bullpen in baseball last season. This season the Yankees bullpen is toward the bottom with a 5.44 team ERA. Look for that ERA to improve as we head later into the season with all of the talented arms in the bullpen you would have to figure the bullpen will figure it out and be dominant once again.
The Yankees lineup is scoring runs on an average of 5.62 runs per game. Aaron Judge is off to another hot start batting .339, hit five home runs, and 16 runs batted in (RBIs). Didi Gregorius is building off his impressive 2017 season hitting .327, five home runs, and 17 RBIs.
Gary Sanchez and newly acquired Giancarlo Stanton are both off to slow starts. After the first 16 games, Sanchez and Stanton are both hitting below .210 and are combined for just six homers as well as 23 RBIs. Look for both players to bounce back especially Stanton, the 2017 NL MVP, who is in his first year in the American League and needs to adjust to the different pitchers he will be facing. Brett Gardner needs to continue to get on base from the top of the lineup to set up the big bats in the lineup.
It is still very early in the 2018 season and the Yankees are built for the long haul. The playoffs are still attainable because it is mid-April. A 162-game season is a marathon not a sprint so look for the evil empire to fix their issues. By season’s end, don’t be shocked if the Yankees are right up there with baseball’s best teams.