Nathan Eovaldi
Photo: Jim McIsaac Getty Images |
CC Sabathia
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.
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.
Starlin Castro
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
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
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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