New York Yankees: No need to panic, this steak had to happen
The New York Yankees have hit a bit of a rough patch lately and fans are calling for a few heads to roll. The team is mired in a 6-game losing streak, however, this may be the best thing to happen to them. In all fairness, the Yanks were not supposed to be this good this fast. The team has a mixture of young and veteran talent but no one saw the explosion of Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks or Luis Severino coming this soon.
As the Yankees burst out the gate, they had a strong hold on the AL East fending off their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Now, things have changed a bit during the Yankees slide as Boston has moved within one back in the standings. But this is still New York and as a Yankees fan– winning is expected no matter who’s in Pinstripes.
How did they get to this point?
Injuries and the everyday wear and tear of the MLB season have played a factor. Baseball is unlike any other team sport. It’s still a team game but it’s also a man against man, one-on-one showdown. There will be days where the strikes that were crossing the plate on Friday are not crossing on Sunday. Judge may hit one out the park Tuesday and Thursday, then go cold for the next 3 days. It’s just the way the game is set up. Can we also credit that to injuries as Hicks has missed time along with C.C. Sabathia, Gary Sanchez and others with a few bruises? It’s the next man up motto.
The Yankees have lost 6 straight but some fans have forgotten about the relentless team who won 38 games prior. There is nothing good about a losing streak but it couldn’t have come at a better time for the team. All teams will hit a slump during a 162 game stretch. It can’t be avoided. However, the good teams get theirs out the way early– like before the All-Star break.
The Yankees have continued to provide runs but their pitching staff has stunk up any and every stadium over the last 6 games. What was once a strength of sorts has turned into their biggest Achilles. While teams like the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies have continued to thrive, the Yankees have slipped a bit. But make no mistakes about it, both teams will hit their wall before the season is out.
The silver lining for the Yankees is that– their injured players are returning. Hicks will get to full health, Aroldis Chapman is back, Sanchez will recover and the pitching staff will return to form. Yes, the race is tight now and fans may be a bit pissed but these are still the Yanks and it’s plenty of baseball left.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
