Yankees: 4 slash lines you wouldn’t believe are real three weeks into 2021 season

The New York Yankees were supposed to have arguably the best offense in Major League Baseball again, right?

From 2017-2020, this was one of the most fearsome units to face on a nightly basis. Now? Pitchers are champing at the bit to catch the Bombers in their current slump.

It’s been equally as embarrassing for the fans, as crazy as that sounds. We’re now three weeks into the season and the Yankees have yet to score more than seven runs in a single game — and they’ve scored three or fewer in 10 of their 18 contests. It’s unbearable.

For the most part, everyone is slumping. Even DJ LeMahieu, who’s still hitting .275, hardly looks like himself. But the issues run much, much deeper.

There are still multiple guys hitting below the Mendoza Line, and to be honest, it’s hard to envision an end in sight.

Here are three Yankees’ slash lines fans won’t believe are actually real.

4. Gleyber Torres

Folks, it’s possible Gleyber Torres may have broken out on Thursday night. He went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI in the team’s 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.

And you want to know what three hits did for his numbers? They improved his slash line to …

.219/.315/.250. 

Torres’ power is non-existent. His three singles on Thursday did nothing to help his slugging percentage. Through 17 games, he has two extra-base hits (both doubles) and two RBI. He’s averaged nearly a strikeout per game. And his fielding is one percentage point below the league average.

Throw in a hustling controversy on Wednesday night that prompted him to post a cryptic Instagram story, and things are still very much not trending in the right direction for the 24-year-old.

Torres really cannot afford much more of this because the Yankees will have the opportunity to dip into the stacked free agent shortstop market when this season comes to an end.

3. Aaron Hicks

Let’s look at the bright side again to start this one off before we dive into the ugly. Aaron Hicks has a .500 on-base percentage in his last eight plate appearances. We will take it!

But he’s still got quite the journey ahead of him. Through his first 16 games (totaling 65 plate appearances), the veteran is slashing .161/.277/.232. Two extra-base hits all year (one double and one homer). What’s even more wild? He was batting under .100 for quite some time. A .161 batting average almost feels like .275 at this point.

Hicks’ struggles from the left side of the plate have been the most alarming because that’s where the Yankees need him most. His ability as a switch hitter has forced the team to rely upon him to balance out the lineup, which isn’t his fault at all — it’s the front office’s for not building a roster that has true lefties capable of producing. But Hicks has always been better as a lefty, until 2021.

Let’s look at the differences:

• Hitting lefty vs RHP – .108/.250/.108 in 44 plate appearances
• Hitting righty vs LHP – .263/.333/.474 in 21 plate appearances

And his claim to fame — his defensive abilities — have seemingly dissipated. To put it nicely, he’s been a bad center fielder so far this season. And we’re not sure when it’ll get better.

Thankfully, this is still a small sample size and there’s plenty of time to turn it around … but the early returns are as discouraging as it gets.

1. Giancarlo Stanton

At this point, Giancarlo Stanton is the most disliked Yankee and it feels like it’s not even close. He was the subject of boos during the first weekend of the season and they’ve consistently poured onto him ever since.

And sadly, it’s for good reason. Unless the man is hitting a home run every other night, his production will probably never make up for the amount of times he strikes out, how infrequently he gets hits, and how he hardly ever comes through in clutch situations — at least in the eyes of Yankees fans.

So far, the $325 million slugger is hitting an unthinkable .158/.238/.333 across his first 15 games and 63 plate appearances. Somehow, the permanent DH has already gotten three games off, which is far too many for a guy who doesn’t sniff the field and for the amount of money he’s making.

He’s got four extra-base hits (three home runs, one double) and has struck out 21 times. Part of the reason? He’s swinging at pitches out of the zone at a 35% clip. He’s swung and missed at strikes 18% of the time. He’s seen a first-pitch strike 60% of the time and is still batting .158. How?!

When will it end? We really do not know. Are other players around MLB performing this poorly? Absolutely. But there’s no collection of players this talented in the same lineup struggling as if it’s their first cup of coffee at the big league level. That’s why Yankees fans have every right to be concerned.

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