The Yankees haven’t really been that team since the turn of the century.
There are two kinds of Yankees fans: those who grew up with the evil empire and those who didn’t. Before 2008 — when current Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner took over the duties from his father — George Steinbrenner was known for doing whatever it took to win.
Younger fans might not have been alive during the 90s championships. Most college-age people have only seen the Yankees win one (or two, depending on their age) World Series, and they probably weren’t old enough to really remember it.
For the older fans, this triggers a sense of pride — the longing sense that the notorious empire that once ruled over baseball must reclaim its rightful position. The truth is, though, nobody really fears the baseball team. For old school fans, Yankees baseball is defined by October dominance, but in reality, the team is .500 by June.
Younger fans have never known a Yankees team that wasn’t either mediocre or a source of playoff frustration. To all baseball fans reading this, you should not be surprised by the outcome — and that’s the most tragic part.
This year, the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the wild card round and finally advanced past a team outside of the AL Central for the first time in a playoff series since 2012, when they beat the Orioles.
A stellar postseason debut for Cam Schlittler helped pave the way for the Yankees to win game 3, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. helped them win game 2. Chisholm, to the dismay of many, did not play in the first game, which they lost. The way they lost that game is indicative of a problem that’s been seen for a while now: their commitment to the three outcomes.
The three outcomes refer to striking out, walking or hitting a home run. In a game as complex as baseball, you cannot win that way, especially not when the opposing team’s pitchers know how to combat your approach. In the bottom of the ninth inning in the first wild card game, the Yankees had the bases loaded with no outs. What followed was two strikeouts and a flyout.
Because of that inning and their regular season performance, hopes were not high. Head-to-head records always get thrown out if the worst team wins, but against the Blue Jays, the Yankees went 1-8 in Toronto and lost 11 of 17 meetings overall.
The Blue Jays’ pitching staff, using a bullpen parade and with a starter as strong as Kevin Gausman, completely shut down the Yankees’ power-hitting offense. New York wasn’t even hitting — they were outscored 34-19 and out-homered 9-4 in the series.
The Blue Jays’ ability to play small ball, foul off pitches and manufacture runs was a perfect counter to the Yankees’ all-or-nothing approach. What resulted was a lopsided game in which the Yankees only scored in the MLB equivalent of NBA garbage time.
In the midst of it, Aaron Judge managed to combat only the criticism he faced regarding his postseason career. Despite a .500 batting average, two incidents stood out: when he chased a pitch outside the strike zone, something he rarely does, and another involving a misplay on a ball that turned a single into a double, both occurring in game 2.
Despite that, his one homer was the most important one. In game 3 of the wildcard, he sent a 3-run homer out of the stadium to tie the game and fend off the ensuing sweep. With a 1.273 OPS across both rounds, Judge tackled the narrative. And even then, it wasn’t enough.
The team, without a judge in the postseason, averages .203, has a mean wRC+ of 51 and a strikeout rate of 27.9%. Giancarlo Stanton, who was named the ALCS MVP last year, was mainly absent in this year’s wild card, with an OPS of .349.
As for where they go with this roster, Ryan McMahon didn’t gather enough plate appearances to be considered qualified — but his defensive impact cannot be understated. Jose Caballero shows flashes as the better shortstop alternative while Cody Bellinger, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent, struggled this postseason. Despite that, Bellinger has been a bright spot in the Yankees’ lineup.
Chisolm’s overall performance this season is steady offensively, but his defense fluctuates, with impressive saves one game and costly errors the next. Stanton has been fine in the regular season but failed to show in the postseason, and
Anthony Volpe, though, is a part of a larger problem with the Yankees: their inability to develop hitters who can play baseball beyond the three outcomes. He struck out 62% of the time this postseason and is statistically among the worst hitters in the game.