Yankees Explosive Offense Reminds Of The 1961 Team – And Why Not?

The Yankees of 2017 remind of the old New York teams that bludgeoned the opposition with a combination of raw power, solid defense, and adequate pitching. In 2017, they’ve barely scratched the surface.

Om Tuesday night, the Yankees outfield combined to hit five home runs. The last time that happened was in 1961 when the Yankees outfield was composed of Roger Maris in right, Mickey Mantle in center field, and Yogi Berra in left field. The ’61 team led the majors that year with 240 home runs and featured a torrid race between the “M & M” boys to break the single-season record set by Babe Ruth.

Against Toronto in a 7-1 victory, Brett Gardner, suddenly rejuvenated, hit two home runs, Aaron Hicks one, and “Hank” Aaron Judge connected for two more, raising his totals for the season before Wednesday’s game to 12 HR’s and 25 RBI.

The Yankees this year have 42 home runs over their first 25 games of the 2017 season, currently placing them third in the majors. Projected out over the balance of the season, they will total between 270-275 home runs.

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More impressive, though is that the team ranks third in runs scored, averaging almost six runs per game. Any pitching staff will take that and run with it, and the Yankees staff is doing just that.

Aaron Judge, of course, has been on a tear of epic proportions and he currently accounts for 25% of the Yankees total offense. Unlike the ’61 team, though, he doesn’t have a dueling partner, leaving him alone to challenge Maris and his 61 in ’61.

And if you want to get giddy, Judge would end up the season as the home run king of baseball with 77 home runs, replacing Barry Bonds, who only managed to hit 73 with a steroid boosted body. Yes, I’ll say that because it’s true.

The Yankees have added a nice touch to the occasion. Every time Judge hits one now, you hear the sound of a gavel striking the bench and then the announcer says, “All rise, here comes the Judge.” Pretty cool.

Video Courtesy of the YES Network

But as with the team in 1961, it wasn’t about individuals then, and it’s not about individual accomplishments now. And that’s something we throw out there so much that it can, at times, lose its value simply by saying it. But this Yankees team plays together and wins together.

In 1961, Whitey Ford, the Chairman of the Board, went 25-4 to lead the staff. Mashiro Tanaka fills that role. Luis Arroyo compiled 29 saves, and he would have had a ton more if the starters didn’t throw 42 complete games. Aroldis Chapman fills that role.

Clete Boyer (11 HR 55 RBI) was your Chase Headley, and Johnny Blanchard (21, 54) was your Aaron Hicks fourth outfielder. Add Tony Kubek and Bobby Richardson at short and second, and you have a mirror of Didi Gregorius and Stalin Castro today, or perhaps even something better.

The Yankees of 1961 won 109 games and went on to bludgeon the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. This Yankees team is not likely to accomplish the win total achieved by that team, but the good news is that they don’t need to because of the Wild Card Playoffs system.

A 91-71 finish ensures that the Yankees will at least get in the playoffs. At 16-9 starting play tonight, the Yankees project out for 95 wins this season. It’s doable, and this team has shown no indication that it can’t be accomplished.

Especially when you consider that they have received no contributions to speak of from Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez, whose power resources have yet to be explored in 2017. Sanchez will return sooner than Bird, who has been relieved of his pain with a trip to the 10-day DL list to sort things out. The organization’s intent is to provide him with some rehab games after he rests a sore ankle as a way of, hopefully, getting him back into the “swing of things.”

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All of which points to the fact that fifty years from now, we could be talking about these Yankees as a comparison to future teams in the same way this team reminds of the 1961 Yankees.