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5 Things That Need To Change, 5 That Need To Stay The Same

The Yankees have had a decidedly mediocre first half of the 2008 season. They are near the middle of the pack in runs scored and runs allowed, leading to an uninspiring 50-45. There are various things that must change for the Yankees to make a serious run at a playoff spot. However, not everything has gone poorly for the Bombers, and those things that are working must continue to do so. Here are the 5 primary things that must change, followed by those that must remain constant for the team to succeed.

Those That Must Change

1) RISP-y Business- The Yankees are at an atrocious .254/.337/.376 with RISP, with all of those numbers being in the bottom third of baseball. Considering the strategy for this team was to bludgeon the opposition with walks and extra base hits, the mediocrity of the offense has been shocking. Even players who are hitting, such as Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez, do not come through with runners on base. Statistically speaking, the Yankees are likely to have some sort of a return to the mean, which would suggest that their luck will change and their numbers with RISP will begin to approach their numbers without RISP. Whether or not the Yankees can experience a turnaround in this area will go a long way in determining if they can reach the postseason.

2) Top Of The Order Blues- Jeter and Abreu are not reaching base nearly as frequently as they have in the past, with Derek’s OBP 40 points below his career average and Abreu 60 points below his. The Yankees need to have more runners on base for A-Rod and Giambi, and these two guys are the culprits. Abreu has been a second half player since coming to NY, and Jeter has actually put up good numbers outside of the 10 days that followed his hand injury, so there is reason to believe a turnaround may be coming.

3) Robbie Cano, and Melky too- Cano is another second half player, and he has actually been solid since mid- May. However, they need more than solid from him, as he really lengthens the lineup when he is in a groove. Having a hitter of his caliber (when he is hitting) batting 7th is the difference between a good lineup and a great one. It would also be helpful if Melky could be anything better than awful. League average offense combined with his defense would make him a very viable 9th hitter in a good offense.

4) 4+5=0 - The Yankees need to improve the back end of their rotation, namely the fourth and fifth spots. Yes, Hughes, Wang, and Kennedy may be ready to contribute by September. Yes, Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner have had their moments. However, the Yankees need to add one more starter to solidify the fourth spot. You can live with Ponson etc. in the 5th spot, but you need four legitimate MLB starters to make a come from behind playoff run.

5) I Bat From The Right Side, Can I Play?- Joe Girardi has to stop sitting his top lefty batters against moderately talented left-handers. With any more than one of Damon, Abreu, Giambi, and Cano on the bench, this lineup becomes anemic. These lefty batters are better against lefties than their replacements are, so it is really a silly move for the sake of making changes. Play the stars and see what happens. i am sure that it will garner more than playing Christian and Gardner. Richie Sexson should help in this area.

Those That Need To Stay The Same

1) Bull-Penning A Masterpiece- The Yankees bullpen has been the most pleasant surprise of the season so far. Mariano has put together what may be the best season of his illustrious career, while the rest of the pitchers out there have admirably filled the hole left by Joba Chamberlain’s move to the rotation. Kyle Farnsworth has been very good, and Jose Veras has been a godsend. Edwar Ramirez has contributed quality innings, and Dan Giese and David Robertson are looking as if they can be trusted to fill roles as well. Brian Bruney should return soon, and hopefully he will replace LaTroy Hawkins, the only real blight on this bullpen’s reputation.

2) Mike Mussina Has Jamie Moyer Disease- Mike Mussina finally realized that he had to change his methodology to cope with diminished velocity, and the results have been excellent. He has turned in a very strong season and seems to have a great feel for how to pitch without throwing mostly fastballs. I have seen nothing to suggest that he will not be able to maintain this, and his continued success will be vital to any run the Yankees might make.

3) Joba Rules!!!!- Yes, he does. His transition to the rotation has gone about as smoothly as can be expected. He keeps the Yankees in every game he pitches, although the team has not given him much support in return. Occasionally he will use too many pitches and exit a game early, but pitching to contact is something that takes time for a young pitcher to learn, especially for one coming from the bullpen. If the Yankees do make the playoffs and Wang returns, a rotation of Joba, Wang, Mussina, and Pettitte would be very formidable in a short series.

4) I’ll Leave The Mustache Jokes To Peter Abraham- Jason Giambi has turned in a surprisingly good season, and has remained reasonably healthy in doing so. If he were to revert to his April level of performance, the Yankees lineup would be devastated, as Matsui’s injury would then leave them without a legitimate 5 hitter to protect A-Rod. They need Giambi to keep hitting the ball out of the park.

5) Johnny Damon Is No Longer A Horse’s Posterior- Damon had been the most productive Yankee until the time of his injury. With Jeter and Abreu struggling, Damon was the only one making things happen at the top of the lineup. He also played a very decent left field. I like Brett Gardner, but he is no Johnny Damon. If Damon is out for too long or comes back and struggles, the Yankees are not likely to do very much moving up in the standings.

Obviously, not all of these things will occur the way we want them to. However, if 7 or 8 of them come through, I am pretty confident that the Yankees will still be playing in October. What do you think has to happen for the Yankees to make the playoffs?

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 9:27 pm and is filed under Off the Facade. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.