The New York Yankees would like to forget about the previous season. It was so bad, and they need to focus on the current season. They have a good team at present that can likely reach the World Series. But for that, everything must go according to their plans. The last few years saw the NY side had dealt with a lot of injury issues, including key players like Aaron Judge. The worst fear came true when the AL 2022 MVP sustained a torn ligament after a freak accident at the Los Angeles Dodgers fence. Initially, the Yankees said Aaron Judge suffered a toe injury. But then it turned out that the torn ligament would keep the Yankees captain out for two months.
It was a heavy blow for the team’s offense, as they had only one superstar slugger. Eventually, the Bronx Bombers failed to make the postseason. Moreover, they had the second-worst batting average in the league. Since then, a lot has happened as the Yankees landed Juan Soto. Then, they also have Alex Verdugo and a healthy Anthony Rizzo. On top of that, Giancarlo Stanton looks slimmer and thinner. But even then, why would the current offense of the 27-time champions resemble the previous season a bit?
Does The Current Offense Of The Pinstripes Resemble Last Year A Bit?
According to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, the Bronx Bomber’s offense this season has certain overtones to the previous season. The Post’s writer acknowledges the fact that the Yankees enjoyed a quick start this year. After all, the NY side is already 6-2. That’s a great start. But in their home opener, the Pinstripes were just not good enough. The home team really silenced the New York crowd. On Friday, Sherman says, “The bats went quiet as they lost 0-3.” This loss took the 47,812 fans in the ballpark into silence.
So far, in the eight games the Yankees played, their OPS and runs per game have been actually lower than the 2023 season. Even the Yankees manager mentioned that the home crowd was ready to erupt, ready to go. However, unfortunately, Aaron Boone noted that his team did not get it going with their offense to blow the roof off. All the New York batters could do in their home opener was get only six hits, and those were all singles. The Toronto Blue Jays were too strong for the Yankees in their first game after returning home.
What Went Wrong For The Yankees Against The Blue Jays In Their 2024 Home Debut?
The promising offense of the Bronx Bombers really let them down. Only a couple of runners reached second base, and none reached third. Eventually, the Yankees went 1 for 8 with men on base, as per Joel Sherman of The Post. Against starting pitchers, the NY side keeps on stalling early in games. This time, the starter who made things difficult for Boone’s side was Yusei Kikuchi, the LHP of the Blue Jays.
After the first eight games of 2024, the Yankees managed only one home run and 13 runs against the opponent’s starting pitchers. On the other hand, they hit six home runs and 19 runs against relievers. Very few hitters of the Bombers managed to hit over .226, including Anthony Volpe (.423), Oswaldo Cabrera (.346) and Juan Soto with .303.
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