4 Yankees regressions that will cost them 2022 World Series

3. Jonathan Loaisiga

The man who was supposed to take over for a struggling Chapman has disappeared as well. Jonathan Loaisiga, like Chapman, has at times tricked fans into thinking he’s “back” only to come crashing back down harder.

It may not be fair for us to call Loaisiga’s 2022 a regression because it’s more so in line with his production from 2018-2020, but his 2021 provided belief that he was “unlocked.” His stuff always screamed “potential,” and it was finally unleashed when he recorded a 2.17 ERA, 2.58 FIP, 1.02 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 70.2 relief innings last year.

This year? A 5.52 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.45 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 31 innings and some shoulder issues from earlier in the season. Every pair of clean outings from Loaisiga in 2022 is quickly followed by a different kind of unraveling, whether it’s allowing a homer, a string of hits, or walking batters as he struggles with location.

Maybe Johnny Lasagna was never for real. But 2021 was his first full season of action and he delivered in a way that had many forecasting the future. His 2022 showing has the Yankees down another reliever — an elite one, at that.

2. Frankie Montas

Maybe we’re not being fair here, but let’s be honest: how much more do you need to see out of Frankie Montas to be convinced he’s not “it”? Initially, when he was acquired, Yankees fans were on board. The rotation was already humming along with Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino. Adding another capable arm to the mix would allow the Yankees to manage some innings and eventually demote someone to the bullpen.

But then the Yankees transferred Luis Severino to the 60-day IL. Then they traded Jordan Montgomery. By essentially swapping Montas for Monty, the Yankees did almost nothing to actually improve their rotation. They just further thinned it and seemingly were “hoping for the best” down the stretch and into October.

In his first five starts with the team, Montas has a 7.01 ERA, 5.39 FIP, 1.52 WHIP and just 20 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. He’s a sloth on the mound. He’s beyond predictable. He doesn’t attack hitters. He couldn’t even go six full innings in his two “good” starts, which were both nearly upended at various times because of the traffic he put on the bases (combined for 11 hits and three walks in those 10.2 innings).

Before his arrival, he had a 3.18 ERA, 3.36 FIP and 1.14 WHIP with 109 strikeouts in 19 starts (104.2 innings with the A’s). Last year, he went 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 1.18 WHIP and 207 strikeouts in 32 starts (187 innings). Perhaps the Yankees failed to see the flaw in his game.

At the Oakland Coliseum, the right-hander owns a 3.28 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 319 strikeouts in 60 games (47 starts), totaling 293.2 innings. Away from the Coliseum? 4.52 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 257 strikeouts in 60 games (46 starts), totaling 263 innings.

So, maybe not a regression at all. Maybe just once again bad judgement by the front office. Good luck watching Montas get through four innings in a playoff game.

1. Gleyber Torres

Many fans lobbied for Gleyber Torres to be off the roster by the time 2022 arrived, but the Yankees instead granted him a third year after his dreadful 2020 and 2021 seasons and moved him back to second base. It appeared to work for a few months. That is, until the inevitable reared its ugly head.

Torres’ mental lapses have been spectacularly bad on the defensive end. His lack of hustle has also been made prevalent far too many times for a guy who’s already been questioned for such an undesirable trait. And finally, his offensive regression has been different kinds of disappointing for three years.

Want to give him a pass for 2020? Fair! But tell us where you see much of a difference with these numbers:

• 2021 (127 games) – .259/.331/.366 with 50 runs scored, 9 homers, 51 RBI, 104 strikeouts
• 2022 (115 games) – .242/.292/.423 with 56 runs scored, 18 homers, 50 RBI, 102 strikeouts

Slight power improvement, same average-to-below-average play. Following his first two All-Star campaigns in 2018 and 2019, Torres has failed to respond to adversity of all kinds: position switches, injuries to other impactful offensive players, and dealing with tough media criticism. His best play came during the Yankees’ sweat-free 52-18 start. Then the team started slipping, and he slipped even further.

Torres is No. 1 here because he was supposed to be a franchise cornerstone. Not only did he fail to live up to that billing (admittedly, it’s tough when you have that promising a start to a career), but he’s adversely responded with hustle/body language issues and an inability to deliver timely hits (especially over the last two-plus years as a whole).

Much like Gary Sánchez, Torres was supposed to give the Yankees a “unique” advantage at a position that’s generally weak across MLB. Instead, he’s now one of those middle-of-the-road stat guys that don’t stand out, and his inability to star in — or even lengthen — the Yankees lineup on a consistent basis will further drive this offense into the ground when the games start to matter even more.

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