The New York Yankees have been one of the worst teams in the American League in August.
They have lost three straight games and eight of their last ten.
Things have gone south in a hurry after their fantastic first half.
The most baffling development has been how the offense has regressed into a harmless unit, incapable of scoring much more than one or two runs per game.
The bullpen has been another problematic area, due to injuries and disappointing performance.
The starters, however, have remained highly competitive, and have seen much of their recent efforts go to waste because the offense can’t get anything going and the bullpen blows the few leads the team gets in the late innings.
Pitching Efforts Are Being Wasted
“The Yankees have lost their last 6 games in which they got a Quality Start (Cole, Cortes, German, Taillon, Cole, Cortes) Their longest streak since another 6-game streak from April 25 to May 2, 1979 (Figueroa, Guidry, Hunter, John, Figueroa, Guidry) (h/t @StatsBySTATS),” sports researcher James Smyth tweeted.
The Yankees have lost their last 6 games in which they got a Quality Start (Cole, Cortes, German, Taillon, Cole, Cortes)
Their longest streak since another 6-game streak from April 25 to May 2, 1979 (Figueroa, Guidry, Hunter, John, Figueroa, Guidry) (h/t @StatsBySTATS)
— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) August 17, 2022
For reference, a quality start is when a pitcher throws six or more innings while allowing three earned runs or fewer.
It’s a good stat to get an idea about which pitchers keep their team in the game more often.
The Yankees’ starters have been doing that, but the offense can’t produce anything and the bullpen has not been as sharp as it was in the first three months.
There is still time for the Yankees to revert things, and they should be more competitive as they get healthier.
However, it’s hard to envision this team, as currently constructed, winning a World Series against the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Mets.
