The way the 2023 MLB season panned out for the New York Yankees was simply unacceptable. Underwhelming would be an understatement. It was the recipe for disaster that the team would never look to follow again. Injuries will surely top the list of things that went horribly wrong this year.
However, the 40-man roster of the New York Yankees consisted of many high-end names who did not do justice to their talent and caliber. None appeared to step up during challenging times, which shunted the team’s playoff hopes. Having said that, below mentioned are the two topmost reasons why the Bronx Bombers’ failed so miserably.
Every Yankees Pitcher Other Than Ace Gerrit Cole!
Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees ace starting pitcher, lived up to the hype. He finished the season with a staggering 2.63 ERA while leading the AL in pitching stats. Not only that, Cole solidified his maiden CY Young campaign by pitching a shutout start in his last outing of the season. However, as much as Cole was being his absolute best, he failed to garner support from his mates. The only starting pitcher other than Gerrit to have an ERA below four was Michael King, who had only nine starts late into the season. The likes of Carlos Rodon, Domingo German, Nestor Cortes, and Luis Severino faced multiple challenges, which led to a rotational collapse.
Having said that, the bullpen came to the rescue many times, which helped the Yankees secure ninth place in the lowest ERA category. The bullpen individually finished lowest in the bullpen ERA category. Still, Gerrit Cole was mostly left stranded on one end as he tried to hold the fort to the best of his capacity. But again, baseball is a team sport, and the entire rotation had to come together to put up a good show. Unfortunately for the Yankees, that didn’t happen, and subsequently, they paid the price. Now, as they shift focus to 2024, the top priority must be to fill up the rotation with non-injury-prone starters. Cole will continue to remain the ace but will need active reinforcements at the same time to stay put.
Every Hitter Except Aaron Judge & Gleyber Torres Are Somewhat To Be Blamed
Aaron Judge’s toe injury proved to be the last nail in the coffin with regard to the New York Yankees’ playoff dreams. His absence for two months led to an offensive collapse. The rest of the lineup struggled and never recovered. The fact that Judge is leading the offensive charts of the Yanks, as well as the AL, is a perfect testament to how his absence played a huge role in the team’s collapse. Judge and baseman Gleyber Torres remain the only two hitters with over .250 average and 20 homers this season.
Moreover, only five Yankee hitters with at least 100 at-bats finished with an on-base percentage above .300. There is no point in breaking down detailed stats as the Yankees finished last in every offensive chart. Having said that, the numbers are ridiculous and unacceptable at the same time. The over-dependence on the captain needs to be reduced. He is a part of the team and not the entire team. The offensive lineup needs to undergo a major change next season.
