Friday, May 27, 2016

Yankees - Who's Hot, Who's Not 2

Who's Hot:

Nathan Eovaldi
Houston Astros v New York Yankees
Photo: Jim McIsaac Getty Images
After a shaky start, Eovaldi has put together some solid outings over the last two weeks earning victories in each of his last four starts while lowering his ERA from 5.46 to 3.95. It appears that he may have regained the confidence that propelled him last season before the untimely injury but with plenty of games left, the jury is still out. For now, the Yankees should be very pleased with his progression

CC Sabathia
CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees
Photo: Jim McIsaac Getty Images


In a shocking twist that not many saw coming, Sabathia has arguably been the team's best pitcher over the last two weeks as well as the month of May. In fact, he's surrendered just one earned run in his last three starts, which included a 15-day gap due to a stint on the disabled list for a hamstring strain. His ERA now sits at 2.83, nowhere near where anyone projected he'd be at this point, so this is definitely a pleasant surprise the Yankees will surely take.

Didi Gregorius
Photo: Adam Hunger Getty Images


With a blistering .444 average over the last 7 games, Gregorius finds himself as the team's hottest hitter. This is a great sign for the Yankees as it shows that the strong finish he had to last season was not an anomaly and he is ready to take on a bigger role with his bat. That doesn't mean he'll be hitting cleanup any time soon, but it does allow Girardi to tinker with lineup in order to capitalize on Didi's hot hitting.


Carlos Beltran


Oakland Athletics v New York Yankees
Photo: Rich Schultz Getty Images
Beltran has had a very productive month, belting 6 homers and driving in a team leading 20 runs. This has come in the nick of time for the Yankees, as he helped lead the club back to a .500 record earlier in the week (although the team has since dropped their last two). If this is to be Beltran's final year, he's certainly looking to go out with a bang.


Who's Not:

Starlin Castro
Apr 7, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Starlin Castro (14) singles to deep left during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Photo: Anthony Gruppuso USA Today Sports


Castro has cooled of considerably this month hitting just .228 in May and .172 over the last week. Bad habits and impatience at the plate have been two major factors contributing to the steady decline of his hitting. He'll need to get back to basics in order to regain his April form or this could become more than just a month long slump, something the Yankees can't really afford at this juncture.

Brett Gardner


Sep 22, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner (11) batting against Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports
Photo: Peter Llewellyn USA Today Sports
Gardner is becoming a bit of an enigma for the Yankees. He has all of the tools to be a fine hitter, yet he can't seem to fully hone those tools and achieve his potential. In between the ups and downs he goes through week by week and his inconsistent contact at the plate (he often blindly fouls off good pitches to hit), it has to frustrating seeing yet another sub-par performance go by.

Mark Teixeira


Jul 24, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira (25) hits a single in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Photo: Jesse Johnson USA Today Sports

Like Gardner, Mark Teixeira finds himself in a precarious spot on the team. Despite all of the efforts to correct his hitting, he continues to slump. With an .080 batting average over the past week coupled with nagging injuries, it appears that his best days are behind him. The Yankees have to hope that he can regain his top tier form, or it could be yet another disappointing season for the big money all-star.

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