The Yankees have lost seven of their last nine games, largely due to a rather anemic offense. They scored four runs Sunday night, but all came in the ninth and tenth innings. In fact, they didn't even collect a hit until the eighth inning. In all, they've averaged 2.64 runs per game in their last 11, a stretch in which the Yankees have gone 3-8.
They scored nine runs during the four-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox. In the final three games, the Yankees hit less than .100. It was the first time the ballclub lost three straight games with a sub-.100 average since 1914 (via Katie Sharp). It was just the third time in the modern era (since 1900) that they recorded three or fewer hits in three straight games. They were no-hit through at least 4 ⅔ innings for three straight games.
What gives? And is this just a bad stretch or a serious concern moving forward? Let's dive in.
Prominent injuries
Yes, every team deals with injuries, but the Yankees right now have three major power bats on the shelf.
The name Trent Grisham may not jump off the screen at you when thinking about power bats, but he hit 34 home runs last season. Prior to getting hurt, he was hitting .370/.439/.548 in his last 19 games, so he was really heating up. Even if it didn't get a ton of fanfare at the time, Grisham going down was a big blow to this offense. That said, Grisham is expected back this week, which should be a jump in the right direction.
Being injured is just part of Giancarlo Stanton's game at this point. He's still one of the biggest needle-movers in baseball when he's right, though. Just look at last season: he only played in 77 games but hit 24 home runs. He hit seven homers in 14 playoff games in 2024. He isn't close to a return, either.
Obviously, Aaron Judge is the big name here. Heading into the season, he was widely -- and correctly -- considered the best hitter in baseball. He hit .331/.457/.688 last season. He's led the majors in OPS in each of his last three full seasons. And, much like Stanton, he isn't close to returning.
Rice's regression
For a nice portion of the season, Ben Rice looked like an MVP-caliber hitter. His numbers are still stellar, of course, but in the last few weeks, he's been regressing to the mean. It was to be expected, of course, but the timing here was pretty terrible for the Yankees, given the injuries. Through June 8, Rice was hitting .304/.400/.641. Since then, he's hitting .178/.241/.342 in 18 games.
Considering the injuries to Grisham, Stanton and Judge, the timing of the Rice regression has been a huge blow to the lineup.
Bellinger's road woes
When the Yankees acquired Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, the common sentiment was that he'd love hitting in Yankee Stadium. It was in that lane of "just because it's obvious doesn't mean it's not true." We're talking about a lefty power hitter who loves to pull the ball with authority playing in a ballpark with an absurdly short right-field porch. It has come to fruition. Bellinger absolutely rakes in Yankee Stadium.
The problem here is that the Yankees play half their games on the road. Bellinger is hitting .182/.293/.271 in away games this season. He's a monster at home but a mite on the road.
Supporting cast not carrying their weight
Any good team needs to be able to withstand injuries and/or poor play from stars, and that's where depth comes into play. In these last two weeks, the Yankees have suffered from injury woes, while Bellinger and Rice have been struggling. Generally speaking, this is when the supporting cast needs to step up. It isn't happening with the Yankees.
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. is hitting just .223 with a 96 OPS+ this season. He got off to a slow start and then got hot, but that has fallen by the wayside. In his last 15 games, Chisholm is hitting .174/.283/.370.
- He's been hurt for a bit over a week, but Ryan McMahon, offensively, just isn't working. He's at .210 with a 74 OPS+ this season.
- Remember when Austin Wells got hot at the plate in 2024? That feels like ages ago. In 55 games this year, he's slashing .157/.258/.241 (41 OPS+). Here in this Yankees' bad stretch, he's hitting .095 in the last eight games.
- With the Judge, Stanton and Grisham injuries, there are spots open for players like Spencer Jones and Jasson Domínguez to prove themselves. Instead, Jones is hitting .215 with 32 strikeouts in 65 at-bats. Domínguez is hitting .214 with a 79 OPS+ and has struck out 21 times compared to three walks.
Moving forward
Is there a concern here?
The Yankees lead the majors in home runs. They are seventh in runs scored and third in OPS. They are also seventh in strikeouts and 22nd in batting average, meaning they are an OPS-heavy team and that lends itself to inconsistency. There will be ebbs and flows.
The Rice downturn was to be expected and Bellinger being bad on the road isn't so disastrous when the Yankees have 12 of their next 19 at home. Surely Chisholm will get hot again and Grisham is coming back very soon. Things will improve.
The biggest issue, though, is Judge's absence. The Yankees won't be a scary offense without him and we can't be sure he's coming back any time in the next few months.
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