Yankees still have the potential to perform even better

Even as the Yankees sit atop the AL East standings with an impressive 42-19 record, the team still has the potential to play much better.

After a shaky beginning to the season, the Yankees found their groove and have played extremely well through May and June. A stacked lineup and impressive young players have allowed the team to be among the strongest in baseball.

The Yankees have undoubtedly been successful this season. Nonetheless, the team has issues that are inhibiting it from playing to its fullest potential. Luckily, most of the problems are fixable with time. Some of the bigger problems, however, will likely require trade action from Brian Cashman.

Without a doubt, the starting rotation is the Yankees’ greatest limitation. With Jordan Montgomery out for the rest of the season and Masahiro Tanaka landing on the 10-day DL, the Yankees face some decisions and possible trades in the very near future.

Ace Luis Severino has shown dominance all season, and the team can rely on him to get the job done during his starts. The other starters, though, seem to be question marks more times than not.

Masahiro Tanaka is 7-2 with a 4.58 ERA but has struggled with consistency. He’s allowed 16 HR and has not shown the ace-like dominance from his past. Veteran CC Sabathia started the season strongly but has racked up a 4.46 ERA in his last seven starts. His high risk of injury and struggles to pitch deep into games sometimes leave him unreliable.

Sonny Gray is 4-4 this year with a 4.81 ERA. He’s had a few stellar appearances of late, but he’s also struggled immensely at times. His inconsistency frequently puts the Yankees in a weak position to win games.

Though the lineup is stacked with excellent hitters and power, the Yankees are waiting for several players to really heat up. 2017 All-Star catcher Gary Sanchez has yet to find a groove this season, batting a measly .075 in his last 15 games, hitting .190 on the season. Aaron Boone, however, is not concerned by the numbers, Owen O’Brien reports:

"“I really don’t worry about it,” Boone said. “I feel like if we’re talking about this a month from now, a couple months from now, it will be a bump in the road from him . . . He’s just too talented of a player, too good a player, too special a hitter for it to go on long.”"

Sanchez hit .278 with 33 HR last year. Production from him would be a huge addition to the lineup. His bat offers undeniable power and poses a challenge to opposing pitchers.

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Another concern as of late for the Yankees has been their star sluggers. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have combined for 169 strikeouts.

Though strikeouts come with the territory of power hitting, considerable lack of production from Stanton (.244 AVG) and some streakiness from Judge have the potential to hinder the heart of the order.

A dreadful cold streak in May for Didi Gregorius wounded the power lineup. More recently, Greg Bird’s highly-anticipated return has been meager.  In 12 games played, he’s hit .191 with 4 RBI.

Despite some issues, though, the Yankees are still in first place in the AL East. They unquestionably have changes and improvements to make, but the team as a whole is playing good baseball and winning games at an extremely high rate.

Next: Why a trade for Jacob deGrom is highly unlikely

With upcoming series against the Nationals, Rays, and Mariners, the Yankees look to hold their division lead and make the necessary adjustments to strengthen both the lineup and starting rotation.