Should We Be Surprised the New York Yankees Bats Are Struggling?

The New York Yankees’ offensive woes are a prime topic in the MLB world. The Yankees, backed by one of the highest payrolls in the sport, have been underwhelming offensively, to say the least. While injury plays a part, the crux of the matter lies in performance, or the lack thereof.

Aaron Judge, the missing MVP link, was anticipated to anchor the lineup, but his absence due to injury isn’t the whole story. Let’s take a closer look at the batters in their current lineup.

Anthony Rizzo, predicted to be a .300 hitter, especially against the prevalent shift, is struggling at .257. Gleyber Torres, another anticipated offensive threat, is barely staying afloat at .251. DJ LeMahieu, the supposed lead-off contact hitter, is at an alarming .220, far from his initial seasons in pinstripes when he was batting .327 and .364. Lastly, shortstop Anthony Volpe hasn’t fared any better at .216 as a rookie.

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It feels like rearranging chairs on the Titanic, with the usual order of firings: hitting coach, pitching coach, manager, then the general manager. But one must question the influence a hitting coach can have on players who’ve had years of success and championships under their belt.

Take DJ LeMahieu, for example. His decline is troubling, and while the frustration he must feel with a .220 batting average is evident, it’s not something the Yankees can afford. His usual consistency and reliability at the plate seem to have evaporated, and that’s a big reason they’ve struggled as a lineup. 

Then there’s Giancarlo Stanton, his attendance on the field fluctuating because of injuries and holding a batting average of a dismal .203. It’s staggering that the Yankees are still seven games above .500 amidst this offensive crisis.

Yes, they dearly miss Aaron Judge; the difference in their performance is night and day in his absence. However, the problems run deeper. Looking at the Yankees lineup, one can’t help but contrast it with the high-flying Atlanta Braves’ one-through-nine. The Yankees need to do more than add Judge back from injury; they need to start finding answers before their season goes from underwhelming to disastrous.

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