The Yankees Need to Learn to Value Consistency
While the New York Yankees still lead the American League East, it’s no secret that they’ve had their struggles throughout June. As the offense continues to struggle to score runs and have productive at-bats, it’s clear that consistency is not something the team values. With every player constantly trying to have their big moment, the chances of small victories within each inning are slim. This past weekend against the Athletics showed what the Yankees are capable of in any given game: scoring just enough with precise pitching, getting shut out, or blowing the opposing team out of the water. While they have had 11 games this season scoring more than 10 runs, they have also been shut out six times.
The month of June has allowed fans to get an insight into what players are struggling with and which players are standing out. It didn’t help that this month, Aaron Judge slipped from his chase for a .400 batting average, putting up numbers that aren’t out of reach for average players. With the return of Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Yankees found some consistency, but his return marked the beginning of the struggles for Paul Goldschmidt. This weekend, Goldschmidt snapped a zero-for-20 streak, but he will still end June with a .171 batting average for the month. In addition, Anthony Volpe’s offensive struggles have become more transparent than ever, with his defensive struggles coming to light, and Austin Wells is no longer the offensive catcher the team has come to know.
If the Yankees want to gain more ground in the standings, finding a consistent ground of runs scored has to be done. While every game is realistically not going to be a blowout, they shouldn’t struggle to score one run against a below-average team, either. Consistency is something the Yankees have struggled with for the past few seasons, and if a change is going to come, it has to come from the top of the organization. Finding a consistent starting lineup needs to be a priority, and the home run or bust mentality needs to be eliminated. If they find a consistent approach, especially against teams that they should beat, they should be able to find themselves at the top of the American League again.
