Yankees: Assessing Week 17

It was quite a week for the Yankees as the team fired on all cylinders, putting up some gaudy numbers in the process. With several teams (the Blue Jays in particular) making splash dives at the trade deadline, this show of offensive strength has come at just the right time. Heading into the dog days of summer, the Yankees are 6 games up in the AL East and are in position to control their own destiny. With important matchups with Boston and Toronto this coming week, the opportunity to pad their lead and make things a little easier cannot be wasted.

The Good

The Yankees put up double digit runs three times this week including a 21 run outburst deep in the heart of Texas. If this is any indication of just what this club is capable of offensively, the rest of the league had better take notice.

Didi Gregorious (12-25 .480), Chase Headley (12-26 .462), and Stephen Drew (6-16 .375) made tremendous contributions this week and were instrumental in the team's offensive bonanza. It's always nice to see role players step up and prove themselves to the club, these three did all of that and then some.

Mark Teixeira has been the second best hitter in all of baseball since the break, batting, .400 with 7 HR and 12 RBI in 15 games. He also set the record for most games with homeruns from both sides of the plate. Having put the last two disappointing seasons behind him, there is no doubt that Teixeira is a force to be reckoned with once more.

The Bad

Michael Pineda was placed on the disabled list this week, halting what had been a steady stream of work thus far. His last two starts were pretty medial and most likely lead to the recent health evaluation. Hopefully the time off will allow his arm to heal and Pineda can round back into his early season form

Brett Gardner's small slump has now stretched itself out as he batted just .222 for the week. This puts his average since the break at .206, a far cry from the torrid pace he had in the games prior. Luckily, the team was not affected by his lack of hitting thanks in large part to the high production form the bottom of the lineup. However, if the Yankees are going to continue to succeed on offense, it's imperative that Gardner get thing going again at the plate.