The Yankees had to clean up in the dark on Sunday.
That’s because the lights at Miami’s LoanDepot Park strobed a celebratory blue in the moments after the final out of the Marlins’ 7-3,sweep-inducing victory over the visiting Yanks. This South Florida stinker included a preposterous 13-12 Miami win on Friday in one of the most unhinged games of the season. The weekend was, altogether, a downright embarrassing showing for a team with World Series aspirations and a $295 million payroll. And so, amid the disorienting flashing of a LoanDepot light show, the Yankees packed up and trudged out.
“It’s gettin’ to be real gut-check time. It’s gettin’ late,” Boone told assembled members of the media after the loss.
Since June 13, the Yankees are 18-27, the fifth-worst record in MLB. The only clubs with lower winning percentages over that span are noncontenders: Washington, Minnesota, San Francisco and Colorado. This prolonged schneid has dropped New York from first to third in the AL East, behind Toronto and, after the South Florida stinker, behind Boston. The Yankees traveled to Texas on Sunday night at 60-52. They’re still in possession of the second AL wild card, but they sit just 2.5 games above the Rangers, whom they face in a crucial three-game set beginning Monday.
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To oversimplify things, four critical trends have defined New York’s summertime tumble down the standings:
1. The Yankees’ offense went from elite to merely very good.
Some of this is luck and sequencing. Before June 13, New York had the ninth-highest batting average with runners in scoring position. Since then, they rank 28th in that metric. Aaron Judge has performed like a top-25 hitter over that span, instead of the undisputed best player on Earth, and has been on the injured list since July 26. Both catcher and third base (before the deadline acquisition of Ryan McMahon) have been complete offensive dead zones. Still, the Yankees definitely rake. The lineup is not to blame for the recent slump.
2. The Yankees’ starting rotation went from very good to average.
The Yankees lost Gerrit Cole to Tommy John in March, lost Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John in July and didn’t have reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil until this week. That the club has a top-10 rotation ERA despite that tidal wave of injuries is quite an accomplishment. Unfortunately, though, things have been headed in the wrong direction lately. The team’s top two starters, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, both sensational in April, have ERAs over four across their past eight starts. Behind them, a pair of rookies in Will Warren and Cam Schlittler have shown impressive flashes but also have ERAs over four.
3. The Yankees’ bullpen went from average to bad.
Luke Weaver, who didn’t surrender an earned run through his first 13 outings, missed some time and has a 6.19 ERA since coming off the shelf on June 20. Devin Williams has rebounded from a horrendous April but is still pitching below his standards. Crucial setup man Fernando Cruz hit the IL in late June. That left the unit undermanned, necessitating a deadline splurge that brought in a trio of reinforcements: David Bednar, Jake Bird and Camilo Doval. Those three didn’t get off to a great start, but let’s see how they adjust.
4. The Yankees continue to make a stream of inexplicable mistakes on defense and the basepaths.
This one gets the most publicity, leads to the most infuriating highlights and creates the most agita, but it’s probably the least meaningful. A handful of jaw-dropping gaffes over the past week — Jazz Chisholm getting doubled off first for no reason, Austin Wells forgetting how many outs there were, all the routine grounders booted by Anthony Volpe — have Yankees fans incensed. Yes, the team looks discombobulated and unbothered, but the truth is that the underwhelming performances from starting pitchers and Aaron Judge being on the IL are probably much bigger deals.
Where do the Yankees go from here?
For better and for worse, it’s worth remembering that midsummer swoons are nothing new for the Yanks. Last year, Boone’s club trudged through a 10-23 period in June and July on its way to a division title and a World Series appearance. The 2022 Yankees wandered across August as part of an ugly 15-26 stretch. That team won the AL East by seven games and reached the ALCS.
It’s a telling reminder that multiple things about the Boone Era Yankees are true. On one hand, his teams have displayed an unmistakable crumbliness, a certain frailness in the field and on the bases. Famously, that dynamic sunk the Yankees in October during The Fifth Inning From Hell. New York is not alone in this regard — the league is full of chili fumblers and space cadets — but it’s impossible to describe these Yankees as “crisp.”
At the same time, only two franchises (Houston and Los Angeles) have won more regular-season ballgames than New York since Boone took over in 2018. During that span, the Yankees have captured three division titles and reached the postseason via wild card three additional times. If that’s what disorganized organization looks like, sign me up.
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All of which is to say: Calls for Boone’s firing are misguided and, more importantly, unrealistic. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The Yankees, under GM Brian Cashman, rarely make coaching changes in the regular season; since 1995, they’ve fired just one member of the staff midseason. But if the worst-case scenario occurs and the Yankees miss the playoffs, Boone’s job should and will come into question in the offseason.
Until then, though, his track record should speak for itself. Boone has been praised by his bosses and his players for his ability to connect with the clubhouse. That is easily the most important aspect of any big-league managerial job. In the frantic, unforgiving Big Apple media environment, that’s even truer. Boone’s predecessor, Joe Girardi, was let go because Cashman thought he lacked “connectivity and communication.” As long as those abilities remain intact for Boone — and all indications are they do — a change seems unlikely.
There’s also ample season left for a Yankees turnaround. As Boone himself would say, “It’s right in front of them.”
