It’s going to be a mediocre finish to a disappointing season for the Yanks.

It’s funny to say that because it has really felt so mediocre, yet we haven’t been eliminated from playoff contention like the Red Sox have. Sure, the Yankees might end up with a record under .500 for the first time in a long time, but they could also have a miraculous run to take the final wild card spot. A girl can dream.

There was nothing special about this season to begin with, but there was no telling that this season would feel like the worst rollercoaster ride ever. It’s had the same ups and downs and twists and turns, but everyone pulls back into the station unhappy. The most obvious takeaways this season are that the team has strength in their pitching, but their run production is so weak and the injuries were a plague. The obvious pitfalls don’t capture the essence of the whole season, so I will be recapping the peaks and valleys that made this season nauseating. 

Injuries

The injuries have been a major blow to the Yankees this season. The team wasn’t having the most spectacular season, but they were above .500 until they hit a wall. More specifically, Aaron Judge hit a wall … and went right through it. A shocking, wall-breaking grab spelled disaster for the Yankees’ biggest hitter. Judge was placed on the 10-day Injured List for a toe injury he sustained in early June against the Dodgers. He didn’t see a game until July 29. By then, the margin between wins and losses had slimmed. 

Many of the Yankee starters have hit the injured list at least once this season, like Bader, Cortes, Rizzo, Stanton and Severino to name a few. On top of that, our rookie star power was shut down due to an injury and Misiewicz took a line drive to the head. Don’t get me started on Rizzo and the head injury.

Pitching

Pitching is a solid area for the Yankees this season. Gerrit Cole is up for his first Cy Young award this year despite the mediocre season the rest of the team experienced. Cole and the rest of the pitching staff are a big reason the whole franchise didn’t completely sink this season. Just because the pitching is solid doesn’t mean it didn’t throw in a few loops. One former member of the pitching staff added those loops himself. That honor is reserved for Domingo Germán. 

Germán struggled to find steady performance throughout the beginning of the season, his lowest point coming against the Mariners when he gave up ten runs and was booed off the mound. A week later, he pitched a perfect game against the Oakland A’s. No disrespect to the A’s, but they would definitely be the team a struggling pitcher could complete this feat against. The rollercoaster dropped 200 feet when a drunken incident sent Domingo Germán to rehab for alcohol abuse. 

Hitting

The hitting is atrocious. We already discussed the injury of the Bronx Bombers’ biggest bomber and his injury hiatus, which has certainly contributed to their lack of run production. Judge’s return has signaled an uptick in hitting, which is keeping them afloat above that .500 mark. The hitting was also given some life, with the arrival of some much-needed young talent. The Yankee rollercoaster stopped in the station long enough to pick up their number two prospect, Jasson Dominguez. His first swing in the big leagues was a solo home run to left field against Justin Verlander and the Astros. The 20-year-old was on top of the world, and he delivered more offense until he suffered an injury 12 days later. Dominguez underwent Tommy John surgery and will use the recommended nine-to-ten months to heal. It’s another tough injury, but the future for Dominguez is bright and his return to Major League play will be one to look out for.

Next Season

The lows have been followed by high points and then an immediate drop off. It feels like most of the time we’re losing until we’ve done something miraculous like sweep the Astros. You have hope, and then the hope is snatched away.

There’s under 10 games left now and anything could happen, but there is a focus on how to solve the obvious issues. The fans, players, managers, and owner don’t want to experience another season like this one, and some changes will definitely be made. There should be a push for a younger team to improve the hitting and reduce the impact of injuries. Rollercoasters are fun, but not when you end up at (or close to) the bottom. 

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