In terms of offensive philosophy, the Yankees were card counters at the black jack table.
Their system stacks up one output velocity sample after another. They believe that commitment to the power measurement method will translate to about 0.600 winning percentage. Who cares what the 40 percent losses look like due to shortages of left-wing bats, defensive stalwarts and athletes? If you win six out of ten, you win the playoffs and once there – with health and maybe a little luck – a team can win everything.
So, faced with a 15-game crisis, the Yankees are stubbornly sticking to off-position defense and risk-averse, station-to-station offense in the belief that over 60 percent over time – like an inconspicuous card counting system – they 60 percent solution will return?
Brian Cashman took part in a teleconference with reporters on Monday to “emphasize” that the Yankees will not “adjust course” after 15 games. He emphasizes patience over panic. Cashman, three-plus decades with the Yankees and two-plus as GM, said that experience has taught him to endure the annual bad pieces if you believe in your process and product.
“We know there are better days ahead,” Cashman said.
There should be, unless you think the 2021 Yankees (5-10) are a .333 winning percentage and the worst team of the AL. Cashman and the organization deserve both the doubt and the time. For a quarter of a century, they watched every dilemma of the regular season with a minimum of four alarms to play, at least, meaningfully until the end of September – and mostly October.
Still, elements of these 15 games feel more worrying than two bad weeks:
- Because it’s not 15 games. Since the start of last season, the Yankees have been 38-37 and the 38 has been significantly created by the overwhelmingly bad Orioles and Red Sox clubs last season. When confronted with strong opposition, namely the rays, the Yankees looked unplugged and undressed. It may be unfair to include a shortened pandemic season as part of this year, but it is possible that the Yanks have been on the wrong track for more than 15 games.
- Pitching is better than ever at exploiting weaknesses with dominant high-speed high-speed stuff. The entire league passes .233 (by the way, Aaron Hicks’ career average), which is the lowest in MLB history.
Have opponents deduced how to expose a Yankees series made one-dimensional by the lack of leftists and unwillingness to move runners? No team sees less fast balls (four and two spreads). The Yanks were kept on the ground while appearing once every four records (the worst in their history). The item that helps overcome the shortcomings in their defensive and rotational length – the long ball – is far off: one homer every 30.7 at-bats compared to one every 20.4 last year.
Perhaps familiarity, especially with the rays, has brought the Yankees to a standstill and when they leave the AL East, the transgression will be revived. It begins Tuesday night against Atlanta, though the opponent is a fair one, Charlie Morton, who is familiar with its unhappiness as an Astro and Ray.
“We trust our players, we trust our process,” Cashman said.
Got this. But if the offense performs so poorly, you can upgrade the defense, athletics, baseball IQ and left-wing presence – especially since Brett Gardner left, Mike Tauchman in the middle and Kyle Higashioka will have a 50-50 catch with Gary Sanchez , it can also offer better at-bats.
The Yankees want to give Clint Frazier an extended look. But is he a showcase? The kind that will perform at a trial camp and be ranked fifth overall due to elite batting speed and above-average foot speed and arm strength? Is he a bunch of alluring diverse skills that do not form a whole high-level player because they can not think and adapt in real time? Frazier is more talented than Gardner, but is he a better player, one who helps a team win more often?
Hicks looks lost. I have no idea if the Tauchman who hit so well in 2019 is real. I do know that he is the best threat of the Yankees player, a better defender than Hicks and that an outside field of Gardner, Tauchman and Aaron Judge can throw some stands and basic runners. Gardner and Tauchman add at least left-wing bats and athletics.
Sanchez was not the Yankee problem. He is a wrong player because his body language indicates disinterest. He cares. But like Gardner for Frazier, is Higashioka less talented than Sanchez, but a better player? His defense is better. And his at-bats were good. Would it be true if you were more exposed? Why not see by splitting catches?
I admit Cashman’s reluctance to move off course after 15 games. But the offense was so bad, why wouldn’t you improve the defense and diversity and maybe get better production as well?