Yankees: A look at the April triumphs and tribulations

The Yankees finish the first full month of baseball with many improvements, lots of roster changes and most significantly, a winning record.

Initially, injuries, bad weather and a slow start to the season put a damper on sky-high expectations for the Yankees. Series losses to the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox overshadowed the opening homestand.

The Yanks really struggled during the first half of the month. Near-freezing temperatures and sloppy play are just a couple of factors that accounted for several heartbreaking losses. Luckily, the Bombers improved their fundamentals as the month progressed, leading April to be an overall solid month for the team.

Pitching was one of the team’s greatest deficits at the beginning of the season. The usually dominant bullpen struggled and its ERA clocked in at just over six. Performances by starting pitchers were also shaky, particularly Sonny Gray.

The defense behind pitchers certainly did not help matters, as the team now holds the record for most errors with 25.

Currently, Greg Bird, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brandon Drury, Tommy Kahnle and Clint Frazier are all on the disabled list. Other players like Billy McKinney and Ben Heller suffered their own DL stints from illnesses and injuries.

However, Tyler Austin and Miguel Andújar have filled big shoes in playing first and third base respectively.

Rookies have been a great addition to the team. Andújar recorded a whopping 16 XBH to fill the third-base role very nicely in Drury’s absence. Top prospect Gleyber Torres made his major league debut on April 22 and has played well since.

Torres holds a .294 average and has shown skill both offensively and defensively. New York Post‘s George King reported Aaron Boone’s feelings on Andújar following his call-up:

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"“He’s going to get some opportunities to play here. We feel like he adds length to our lineup.”"

Didi Gregorius is the main story of April. His red-hot start to the season has turned him into a powerhouse for the Yanks and a fan favorite. His stats as of May 1: .327 batting average, .421 OBP, 10 HR and a 1.156 OPS.

With the bad news out of the way, it’s important to recognize how much the Yankees improved in the second half of April. The last three series of the month were by far the most rewarding. Significant offensive efforts and solid pitching performances led the Yanks to take three of four from the Blue Jays, and sweep the Twins and Angels. Both starting and relief pitching has improved.

Masahiro Tanaka and C.C. Sabathia have both had quality outings as of late. Even Gray’s final start of the month showed vast improvement. Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Ronald Torreyes, whose .390 average leads the team have picked up the slack of Giancarlo Stanton and Brett Gardner. 

The team chemistry is outstanding and the overall mood in the dugout is happy and confident.

The Yanks have some tough series in May. Facing the league’s most challenging teams will confront the club and showcase their actual capabilities.

Things to look for in May: more continuity in starting pitching (particularly Sonny), Greg Bird’s probable return near the end of the month, Gardner and Stanton picking up offensively and — most importantly, good baseball.