Yankees Editorial: What Has Been Holding The Yankees Back?

The New York Yankees started off the month of May with a sweep of the Boston Red Sox. It was a great possibility that May could be an even better month than April in hopes of a few key players picking up their slack on offense. However, despite taking three games in New York against the Baltimore Orioles, the Yanks’ have gone 2-6 since that home series. Unfortunately, looking towards the rest of the month it might not get better. The players who were hitting bombs in April are starting to slow down a little. Being on the road and carrying the team on their backs isn’t an easy thing to do. They’re still hitting, but the support from the lower half of the lineup still isn’t there to take the pressure off the older players.

Though, Carlos Beltran has picked his pace up, and even Chase Headley in the last couple of games, Stephen Drew and Didi Gregorius are still struggling for the most part. It may not be a surprise, but it can’t keep going like this if the Yankees want to get back to how it was in April. The team isn’t asking them to hit .270, but at this point .230 would be nice. Didi has reached .204, and Stephen Drew is at .188. Drew went 2-4 with two RBIs in yesterday’s game against the Nationals, but his BA is still unacceptable, and it’s maybe once a week where he contributes like that. What makes this even worse is Jacoby Ellsbury, arguably the Yankees most important player was put on the 15-day DL with a knee injury, bringing up Slade Heathcott. Heathcott has a .285 batting average in Triple-A, but expecting him to bring half of what Ellsbury brought to the team right from the start isn’t quite realistic. Chris Young has picked up the slack for Beltran when he was struggling earlier, now he will most likely share center field with Heathcott.

Luckily the Yankees head back home after tonight’s game in Washington. They have six games, three against the Oakland A’s, and for the second time this month they will face the Kansas City Royals again. This mini home stretch couldn’t come at a better time, but with Ellsbury out, there will be a lot to look for. The team will have to step up, especially Drew and Gregorius. Even with Jose Pirela back for a couple of weeks now, there isn’t a lot of hitting between the three right now. If the Yankees want to make something of May and keep a lead in the American League East, those three must contribute to the level that’s expected of them.

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