Assessing The Yankees - Week 11

             

After a tough 12-4 loss on Sunday, the Yankees finished of a 4-3 week that featured both very good and very bad baseball. With the division still hotly contested and an important west coast swing upon them, the team must look to gain ground and get themselves in good position by the All Star break.

The Good - Brian McCann had a stellar week going 10-26 (.385) and spraying the baseball all over the park. Since May 25 McCann is hitting a blistering 25 for 71 (.352) which is the best for on the club over that span. Combine that with his over .350 average with runners in scoring position and it is safe to say, all systems are go for 31 year old catcher.

- Beltran also out together a strong week, hitting .333 and slugging 3 homers (two in one game). Over the past month his once putrid batting average has started to creep back up into respectability, earning him more at bats and playing time he was not seeing for most of early season. It's a nice turnaround for a bedeviled aging outfielder whom many thought was no longer viable in any way, shape, or form.

 - Alex Rodriguez reached the coveted and exclusive 3000 hit club with a first pitch homer off of Justin Verlander. Not only did he become just the 29th member of the club, he also is one of only 3 players to hit a home-run to get there (the last being Jeter in 2011). Although the surrounding controversy around this achievement will forever be linked to Rodriguez and will most likely keep him from the Hall of Fame, you can;t help but be amazed at what he has done this year.

The Bad - It's been a hard luck year to be a Yankee outfielder as Mason Williams became the latest victim to go on the disabled list. His injury is not quite as sever as the others, but the revolving door will continue to move as Ramon Flores will assume the duty once more.

Nathan Eovaldi put up the shortest outing for any Yankee starter this season, lasting just 2/3 of an inning against his former club the Marlins. He surrendered 8 runs on 9 hits and looked helpless as to what to do on the mound. To top it off the opposing and winning pitcher in the drumming was David Phelps, the man whom the Yankees traded to acquire the hard throwing righthander, which could not hare sat well with Girardi or Bran Cashman. However Nathan did make up for it Saturday night with a much stronger showing against Detroit.

- Perhaps the Biggest surprise of the week was the poor showing from Masahiro Tanaka in the series finale Sunday afternoon. The Yankee ace lasted 5 innings giving up 10 hits and 7 runs (5 earned). His unfamiliar lack of plate command and pitch conviction was surely a shock for both the fans and the team alike. These kinds of games are bound to happen to best of pitcher in any season so hopefully this is just one of those anomalies. Anything similar to this in his next start could be a cause for alarm.

Assessing The Yankees - Week 10

                           

The Yankees played their second abbreviated week of the season, going 2-3 with the two wins sandwiched in between the three losses. They sit in a virtual tie for first in the East with Tampa Bay and now have a suddenly surging Blue Jays team creeping up the rear. It's going to take a lot more juice to keep the dogs off as the All Star break nears so a having winning records in any given week will be highly essential to get the upper hand.

The Good - Tanaka had another strong showing as he aided the Yankees to a win over the highly profiled Nationals ace Max Scherzer. Yielding just one run in seven innings, he's looking more and more like the pitcher whom took the baseball world by storm just a year ago. What's even more impressive is the efficiency he has showing on the mound since coming off of the disabled list, adding to his already stellar mound presence.

- Ivan Nova appears to be on his way back after his good showing in his Triple-A rehab game on Saturday. It'll be nice to get another arm to fill out the slightly broken rotation and give the bullpen some much needed help.

- Mason Williams got the chance to live his dream as the 23 year old made his major league debut in the series opener versus the Orioles. Williams delivered a two run homer in his second at bat, much to delight of his family and the Yankees alike, showing what he could bring to the table once fine-tuned. Though he only managed to get just the one hit, his fantastic range and speed in the outfield is quite a sight. With Flores, Heathcott, and Williams all showing some nice valuable traits, the battle for right field post Beltran is sure to be an intense and entertaining watch.

The Bad - The bullpen had a bit of a misstep this week as it allowed games to get away or out of hand. This led to the outright release of Esmil Rogers, whom sported a dismal 6.27 ERA in 18 appearances and hadn't had much of a significant role since April. The pen however did finish strong, putting up a solid combined effort in the finale against Baltimore, but I think it's best they don't put too many shaky performances moving forward.

- Perhaps the worst news of the week was the loss of Andrew Miller due to tightness in his forearm.  Not only was he having a career year up to this point, Miller had become a dominant presence in the closer role for the Yankees. The role now shifts to Dellin Betances, whom judging by his 0.27 ERA thus far should be more than capable of holding down this spot until Miller can get healthy.

Assessing the Yankees - Week 9

Sunday's victory capped a stellar week for the Bombers as they swept both the Mariners and Angels in three game sets.  The team looks to have rejuvenated itself at the turn of the calendar, giving notice that they are not to be taken lightly in the race for AL East Supremacy.

The Good - The Starting pitching was excellent, turning in quality nearly all week long. As has been said before, the pitching staff will be the deciding factor for the Yankees playoff hopes. With most of the AL East (other than the Rays) struggling to find consistency in their pitching staffs, the Yankees must make this the deciding factor that separates them from the rest of the pack.

- The return on Masahiro Tanaka was more than satisfying as he gave a superior performance in his major league first outing since April 23.  His impressive line (7 innings 3 hits 1 run and 9 strikeouts) and effortless command of the plate was surely a more than welcome sight for the club.  As long as his elbow holds up, the staff could be that much more dangerous.

- Brett Gardner put together a nice week going 8 for 26 (.307) and putting some very good at bats together. With Jacoby Ellsbury still on the shelf and not due back for another month, it will be up to Gardner to provide the spark from the leadoff spot. If he can get on a good streak, it will be all the more beneficial for Yankees.

- It was nice to see both Stephen Drew and Garrett Jones deliver offensively for the team as they have struggled for most of the season. Hopefully this wasn't just a small spurt of good fortune for the two and they can finally start to make some real contributions to the club.

The Bad - Chris Young entered the week marred in a terrible slump. Since May 3 he is 7 for his last 58 (.120) and showing little signs returning to his early season form which saw him hit .313 over the first month. While he has been able to provide some good defense in the outfield, he won't much more playing time if this poor streak begins to directly affect the teams overall performance

Assessing the Yankees - Week 8

                  

Everything started off nicely with an impressive sweep of the then red hot Kansas City Royals, ending their 6-game skid.  However, the good vibes would not last long as the Yankees dropped a four game set in Oakland, causing them to stumble to a 4-3 record.  Though this week was much better than the previous two, it still could have been a lot better.

The Good - It seems that Carlos Beltran has taken the harsh criticisms to heart as he rode a 15-game hitting streak right into the weekend.  So much has been made of what his role is on the team, so if he can continue to produce in a more limited capacity, there may just be hope for the 38 year old veteran.

- Alex Rodriguez is currently on a 9-game hitting streak of his own going 13 for 33 (.394) over that span.  He is having a pretty solid year thus far, which is a shock to many (including myself) whom believed he would be dead weight at the end of the bench.  A scout recently said that Rodriguez's swing is the easiest he's even seen from him, a nice sentiment considering the torment and trouble he has caused with his bat over most of his Yankee tenure.

- Adam Warren turned in two solid outings this week and looks to have earned back the trust of Joe Girardi as a capable starter in the rotation.  Not only did he get into the seventh inning both times, he was able to hold two impressive lineups to minimal production.  The Yankees are in dire need of a solid anchoring starter and Warren looks to have fulfilled his audition for it.

The Bad - CC Sabathia turned in yet another up and down outing that we have become all too accustomed to.  His inability to get past that one troublesome inning has been the achilles heel that he just can’t seem to shake, especially for the past three seasons.  With an ERA of 5.67 in 10 starts, the former Cy Young Winner has lost more than just his velocity.  Considering the $73 million still left on his contract, the Yankees have to hold out hope he will recapture his confidence or face yet another contractual disappointment.

- Stephen Drew is not making a very good case to continue playing for the Pinstripes. He has fallen into a deep 2 for 36 slump, which looks to have no end in sight.  Even though Jose Pirela will most likely get more playing time to counter this, there is no guarantee he can completely pick up the slack.  Should this linger any longer than it has to, it may be time to part ways with Drew and go for a younger, more capable hitter like Robert Refsnyder to put a spark in the