The New York Yankees are in the midst of a deep crisis and the concern of the fans has turned to panic. After being swept by the Miami Marlins for the first time in their history, the team suffered a fourth consecutive loss to the Rangers. The problems that the losing streak has exposed are not only of form, but also of substance, and now even MLB experts fear that the playoffs are at risk.
The weekend was a disaster for the Yankees, who lost all three games against the Marlins by scores of 13-12, 2-0 and 7-3. This historic sweep not only showed that the pitching could falter, but also that the offense, even when it responded, was not enough. On Monday, the situation worsened with an 8-5 loss to the Rangers, decided by a walk-off home run by Josh Jung in the 10th inning.
Expert reviews
MLB expert Jon Heyman did not hesitate to express his alarm on MLB Now. “You have to panic at this point. It looks bad. Their baserunning continues to be a problem… They fixed the bullpen, did some good things. They’ll get Judge back, but that foundation is a problem.”
Heyman highlighted the irony that despite having the best run differential in the American League (+92), the Yankees are losing. “It’s hard to believe watching this team play because they really don’t play well,” he said. He warned that if the situation continues, the team could be out of the postseason, as they are currently tied with Seattle for the second wild-card spot.
Judge’s absence is not the only excuse
While the absence of Aaron Judge has been a significant blow to the offense, experts agree that the team’s problems go beyond his absence. The combination of basic errors and the apparent lack of accountability, even from experienced players, is systematically costing games.
Former player Xavier Scruggs was the one who joined the questioning, expressing his concern. “My concern is the recent style of play… I don’t see a lot of accountability, which is what worries me,” he said. The team’s situation is not good on or off the field. Injuries are also affecting the squad and the outlook is not encouraging at the moment.
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