When it comes to offensive philosophy, the Yankees have been bookmakers at the Black Jack table.
Their system stacks one monster with exit speed after another. They believe that devotion to this power methodology will translate into about a .600 winning percentage. Who cares what 40% of the losses look like due to the lack of left bats, defensive stalls and athletes? If you win six out of 10, you make the playoffs and once you get there – with health and maybe some wealth – a team can win everything.
Thus, faced with a crisis of 15 games, the Yankees stubbornly stand in defense out of position and risk averse offense, from one station to another, believing that over time – as an inflexible system of counting cards – 60% solution will return?
Brian Cashman attended a teleconference with reporters on Monday to “strengthen” the fact that the Yankees “will not adjust the course” after 15 games. He emphasized patience with panic. Cashman, more than three decades with the Yankees and two more as GM, the experience has taught him to withstand the bad annual stretches if you believe in your process and product.
“We know there are better days ahead,” Cashman said.
There must be, unless you think the 2021 Yankees (5-10) are a .333 winning percentage and the worst AL team. Cashman and the organization have gained a benefit of both doubt and time. They watched each regular season dilemma with four alarms for a quarter of a century to at least play significantly by the end of September – and most often in October.
However, the elements of these 15 games feel more worrying than two bad weeks:
- Because there are not 15 games. Since the beginning of last season, the Yankees have 38-37, and 38 is created significantly by the overwhelming Orioles and Red Sox clubs last season. When faced with strong opposition, namely the rays, the Yankees looked disconnected and stuck. It may be unfair to include a shortened pandemic season as part of this year, but it is possible that the Yankees have evolved in the wrong direction for over 15 games.
- Pitching is better than ever at exploiting weaknesses with dominant things of high rotation and high speed. The entire league has .233 (Aaron Hicks’ career average, by the way), which is the lowest in MLB history.
Did opponents figure out how to expose a Yankees line made one-dimensional by the lack of lefties and reluctance to move runners? No team sees fewer fast balls (with four and two seamers). The Yanks were held to the ground while hitting four plate appearances once (the worst in their history). The element that helps to overcome the shortcomings in their length of defense and rotation – the long ball – is far down: one homer for every 30.7 bats, compared to one for every 20.4 last year.
Perhaps familiarity, especially with the rays, has blocked the Yankees, and when they leave AL East, the offense will revive. That starts on Tuesday night against Atlanta, although the opposing owner is a right-hander, Charlie Morton, quite familiar with making them miserable like Astro and Ray.
“We trust our players, we trust our process,” Cashman said.
I understand. But when the offense behaves so badly, why not improve your defense, athletics, baseball IQ and left presence – especially since Brett Gardner on the left, Mike Tauchman in the center and Kyle Higashioka entering a period of 50- 50 with Gary Sanchez could also give better to bats.
The Yankees want to give Clint Frazier an extended look. But is a warrior the showcase? The kind that will excel in a test camp and be ranked fifth because of the elite bat speed and over-the-foot speed and above-average arm strength? Is it a bunch of tempting disparate skills that don’t train a high level player due to the inability to think and adapt in real time? Frazier is more talented than Gardner, but is he a better player, one who helps a team win more often?
Hicks seems lost. I have no idea if the Tauchman who hit so well in 2019 is real. I know he’s the biggest threat to the Yankees’ base steal, a better defender than Hicks, and that an outside field by Gardner, Tauchman, and Aaron Judge could save pitchers a few basic pitches and runners. Gardner and Tauchman introduce at least left bats and athletics.
Sanchez was not the Yankee’s problem. He is a misunderstood player because his body language suggests disinterest. He cares. But, like Gardner for Frazier, Higashioka is less talented than Sanchez, but is he a better player? His defense is better. And his bats were good. Will it be true if it is more exposed? Why not split the catch?
I recognize Cashman’s reluctance to change course after 15 games. But the crime was so bad, why not improve defense and diversity and probably get better production?