Yankees beat writer attempts to shame New York fans with weak Roki Sasaki take

For whatever reason, Yankees beat writers have made it their mission this offseason to take aim at the 17% of unruly fans whose opinions are misinformed and so bewildering that they are better served being ignored.

Remember Joel Sherman's bizarre NSFW rant on his podcast that felt like it just didn't apply to anything? There have been other minor instances of facetious behavior when referencing spring performances, which makes it clear the organization, top to bottom, has created a culture in which the preseason does not matter one bit. And it's trickled down to the folks who report on the team.

The latest incident of trying to ragebait an inconsequential group of fans came from The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, who attempted to draw a parallel with Roki Sasaki's horrendous spring performance with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sasaki has been a nightmare, and it culminated with his final outing on Monday night, where he failed to record an out and allowed four earned runs. The right-hander finishes the spring with a 15.58 ERA, 2.77 WHIP and an absurd 15 walks across 8 2/3 innings.

Would Yankees fans be freaking out about this? Absolutely. But perhaps there's a big difference between a team that won back-to-back World Series making this type of roster decison and another that hasn't won since 2009?

Comparing Roki Sasaki's failures with Dodgers to anything concerning the Yankees makes no sense

I am imagining, too! Actually, there's no need to imagine because it's happening right now with Ryan Weathers! People would surely be yelling, just like Dodgers fans are! But if you look at the comments under Kirschner's tweet, it's clear the level-headed people showed up to the party.

If the Yankees were going for a three-peat and had an injury to arguably their best starter (in this case, it's Blake Snell for the Dodgers), Sasaki's spring performance would certainly be garnering headlines, but there wouldn't be the same outrage as there is surrounding Weathers, who was acquired for four prospects this offseason and has an 11.68 ERA, 2.11 WHIP and .390 opponents' average this spring.

The difference? Weathers was someone the Yankees believed to be an impact addition, while Sasaki was a luxury signing by the Dodgers, who have managed to patch up every roster question with an impact signing or trade — something the Yankees famously don't do. Weathers is integral to the Yankees' success in 2026. Sasaki isn't needed at all, as evidenced by last year when they sent him to the minor leagues and then used him as a high-leverage reliever in the postseason (somehow, he was unlocked and dominated in that role after pitching in 10 regular season games).

The Yankees have been lapped. The Dodgers are worlds ahead of them. Even teams in the AL East look far better equipped in the short- and long-term. Yankees fans are rightfully angry given the repeated malfeasance, and it gets more and more insulting when those atop the media food chain are echoing the nonsensical behavior from a sect of fans who don't represent any real talking points.