What Went Wrong And What Went Right In The First Half For The Yankees

Jul 14, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; American League infielder Derek Jeter (2) of the New York Yankees during workout day the day before the 2014 MLB All Star Game at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees aren’t exactly where everyone thought they would be at the All-Star break. At 47-47, five games behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles in third place, it’s not exactly the best of circumstances. Let’s see what went wrong and what went right so far.

Right:

Brett Gardner: Career high in homers already, and the most consistent everyday player. May be the best player on the team right now.

Yangervis Solarte: Solarte helped keep the Yankees offense afloat early on, but faltered and got sent down to Triple-A.

Bullpen: David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Adam Warren have formed what may be the best bullpen triumvirate in the game today.

Masahiro Tanaka pre-injury: Tanaka was probably a top five starter in the game until…

Wrong:

The Injury Bug: Oh the Injuries: Four of the opening day five starters, two bullpen members, Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira have all spent time on the DL.  Three of the four pitchers are probably done for the season.

Free Agency Decisions: If you’re comparing seasons, Curtis Granderson is doing MUCH better than Beltran. Robinson Cano is outperforming Jacoby Ellsbury. Even Tanaka is on the shelf. Brian McCann hasn’t been doing as well, though he’s improved of late and is responsible for the pitching staff.

Offense: Because of the free ageny decisions, the Yankees’ offense has been pretty anemic. The Yankees are 22nd in runs, 17th in hits, 15th in homers, and 20th in OPS. Not exactly what we thought going into the season.

In order for the Yankees to fight back, they are going to need a bat AND an arm (maybe two of each). They have two weeks to go to the deadline. Let’s see what they do.