The New York Yankees are not having a great season, as they are currently 5th in the AL East. The team is constantly losing series after series. On top of that, injuries to key players have been a major problem for the franchise. For instance, due to injuries, Captain Aaron Judge has not been able to play as many games as the management and fans would like. Moreover, it seems like the Yankees are about to miss out on making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Otherwise, the 27-time champions need a miracle to turn things around this season.
It seems the season is pretty much over for the Yankees. But there are other things the New York side is currently focusing more on. Every team needs a proper youth development program. To solidify the future prospects, the Yankees management wants to try and give enough opportunities to the 24-year-old or younger players in their roster. On Sunday, the New York Yankees lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 4-7. Eventually, they lost the three-game series against the Rays two games to one (6-2, 0-3 and 4-7).
Yankees Are Focusing On Youth Development
On Sunday, the Yankees gave a lot of youngsters a chance to show their skills. Everson Pereira, an outfielder, got a chance to slide on the plate’s outside corner and scored a single poking into right field. Later came Anthony Volpe, and he was able to hit a home run on the right-center field. It was his 18th homer of the season. Hence, there are some positives for the Yankees in this overall unsuccessful season. On Sunday, against the Rays, Aaron Boone’s side had four young 24-year-olds in their lineup.
AV11 delivers his 18th homer of the year 👏 pic.twitter.com/T7WJwCs6Mi
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 27, 2023
Besides Anthony Volpe and Everson Pereira, the other two were Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera. These Yankees kids had a combined 2-for-12 in the game, where the team lost 4-7. Moreover, it seems pretty clear that the Bronx Bombers are prioritizing youth experience over the number of games the team can win. For instance, Everson Pereira has not played even for a week, but how come he got a chance to hit against a side that is so far ahead in the standings?
Manager Boone Believes Youth Development Program Is Crucial For The Future
In a pre-game interview on Sunday, Aaron Boone, the manager, said it is a great opportunity for the youngsters and for the management as well. It is essential to gain information regarding where they can continue to make strides as well as how equipped they can get if they play regularly. From the manager’s statement, it is clear how the Yankees are looking at the rest of the season. They are clearly planning to experiment on the youngsters and see who is good for their bench strength.
The Yankees have been suffering from injuries so much. That’s why they have to rely on the young core to provide some stability in the lineup. Moreover, Anthony Volpe was impressive on Sunday and also for most of the seasons. Currently, the Yankees are playing the Detroit Tigers. They won the first game 4-1. Now, here they have a chance to win a series after a long time. It is because the Tigers have a worse win record than the Yankees this season.