If there is one formula that defines the Yankees this season, it is simple and brutal: if they hit two home runs per game, they win. This statistic explains why they have doubled down on power, because for better or worse, the New York team has abandoned the classic fundamentals of baseball in favor of an aerial demolition strategy.
The result has been an explosive team, with a sharp and polarizing offensive approach that despises situational hitting and turns every at-bat into a quest for angle and exit velocity. It is no coincidence that August was one of the most powerful months in its recent history with 59 home runs with just 227 hits, no team has done so much damage with so few contacts.
Why are the Yankees obsessed with elevating the ball?
The Yankees have a 3.9% increase in their fly ball rate and it is the second largest increase in launch angle in all of MLB. The Bronx offense is designed to make the ball go up and not hit the ground.
The metrics confirm that his average bat speed is 73.1 mph, his fly ball rate rivals that of the Dodgers and players like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm have adjusted their swings to attack the lower third of the ball, generating upward trajectories
Behind this change is the coaching staff led by James Rowson, who has instilled a culture of “aggressiveness with purpose” and looking for the perfect swing on the ideal pitch, even if it means more strikeouts and less contact and this is reflected in the numbers with New York falling in batting average and RISP compared to 2024, but leading the league in home runs per game.
Can the Yankees win with only home runs? Here’s what the data says
The Yankees’ system works when they manage to get the ball off the ground twice per game, with at least two home runs, their record is 43-19, but if opposing pitchers keep them in the park, it all falls apart with a 33-42 record.
The teams that have managed to contain them have one thing in common: they reduce the four-seam fastball and increase the use of slow pitches. The Astros, Tigers and Red Sox, three playoff rivals, are among those who have best limited New York’s slugging by changing their pitching.
The 2025 New York Yankees don’t play old-school baseball, they don’t bunt, they don’t steal bases, they don’t manufacture runs with patience, they go for the long ball, but that has led to questions for the team as to whether that will be enough for their playoff aspirations.
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