![Marcus Stroman has a cute moment](https://rlyw.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/marcos-stroman-hands-fence-header-1024x557.jpg)
From Shaun O’Neill:
With the Yankees at the one-third point of the season, it’s a good time to take stock of the team.
It’s high-performing and on the rise.
The Yankees continued to churn out wins, home runs and stellar starting pitching as they completed their first 54 games with a 4-1 victory over the Padres on Saturday night at Petco Park.
New York recorded its fourth straight win and its 11th in the past 13 games. Aaron Judge homered in his fourth straight game — one shy of his career-best streak — while Marcus Stroman tossed six scoreless innings.
At 37-17, the Yankees have the best record in the American League and second in the Majors only to the Phillies’ 38-15. Only two Yankees clubs in the expansion era (since 1961) had a better mark through 54 games: the 1998 powerhouse (41-13) and the 2022 squad that reached the ALCS (39-15).
Man, that 2022 team is really going to mess with everything we think about this year’s team, right? Because we saw how much that team fell apart in the second half (and primarily, how the ALCS saw a once-vaunted rotation turn into shit against the Astros, and how Judge couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag against the Astros, with the biggest positive for him being how he ALMOST hit a home run in one game), so as good as everything is right now, how can you feel comfortable?
I think that this team is clearly more sustainable, especially since Juan Soto is, well, you know, Juan Soto. Look at the 2022 lineup come playoff time:
Bader CF
Judge RF
Rizzo 1B
Stanton DH
Torres 2B
Donaldson 3B
Cabrera LF
Kiner-Falefa SS
Trevino C
I mean, come the fuck on, right?
Anyhow, for as good as Judge has been hitting, I have vowed to continue giving the starters the featured image so long as they keep this impressive streak up, so a cute moment for Stroman gets to be the featured image tonight.
20 games over .500 in May. Wow.
Laughed at the repeating end of the game thread, Brian!
Also, the collapse of the 2022 team was ridiculous. Epic. Hideous. But it’s not the norm – repeating it would be insanely unlikely. Doing it the FIRST time was insanely unlikely – how long did someone post here, in EVERY THREAD, something like “guys, if they just play 500 ball from here on in, they’ll win comfortably?” Until they didn’t, and didn’t, and didn’t, and slipped through the event horizon, never to be seen again.
One particular thing I’ll note is that Judge has ALREADY broken the record, so there’d seem to be little reason for him to be wracked with nerves for a month-and-a-half down the stretch.
I’ve reached a decision. I do not believe the Yankees pitchers’ true talent level is an ERA in the 2s.
The batting may be real, but the pitching is going to come back down to earth at some point.
Still gonna enjoy it while it lasts.
Yeah, the continuation was:
The offense is completely different, and so much better. The big worry – or wonder – is, of course, the starting pitching, which has so little track record and so many questions and even WITH a track record and WITHOUT questions could hardly keep pitching THIS well… but man, it’s crazy promising, right? And Cole on the way back.
Pretty much what you said.
I get the fear, but Rodón has done this before, so has Cortes. Stroman too. Gil has been a monster arm since he was a 16 year old and then they had work on a change up for his rehab. Schmidt was a mid 1st round pick as a broken college arm. Maybe they regress a bit, but they all have the talent. Injuries will be what derail the staff.
The hitters, what a difference Soto makes. Verdugo to a lesser extent. I’m more impressed that Stanton doesn’t look completely cooked.
I think you’re right but scoring is down across baseball so they’re not that over their heads. Rodon and Gil are the ones who look due for regression to me—Rodon gives up too many flies and strikes out too few, Gil walks too many. I don’t say they will get bad, just not this good.
Judge in the last 317 games:
.291/.417/.654/1.071, 195 OPS+
116 HR, 242 BB, 18.3 WAR
Is he the best hitter of this generation? Is he going to the Hall? It’s pretty crazy honestly.
Trout is the comp. He was much better younger when Judge was still in the minors, age 20 OPS+ 168. From age 25-27 he averaged 190 OPS+. Judge didn’t really reach Super Star+ until age 30. Look at Trout’s numbers on Baseball Ref.
I think Judge will need Big Jamba Ortiz like production in his 30s. He’s like 20-25 WAR short of HoF career tier for an OFer.
Ohtani is in the conversation for best current hitter
Take out the Steroid cheaters…I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone as good as Judge. Though I loved Mattingly back in the 80s.
As noted above, Trout was ridiculously good for his first 5+ years. It’s just he was on a very bad Angels team and isn’t a super charismatic guy.
He’s still really good, but has health issues.
he did choose to play out his career in the outer rim though.
True, but if the only serious competition is Trout for “best player I’ve ever seen,” it’s hard to imagine that Judge won’t go into the HoF barring a massive collapse.
Wait the Yankees are off on Memorial Day? The schedules have gotten insane. Was it last year they were off on the 4th?
ChrisS, Volpe’s at 2.5 WAR at the 1/3 mark. 6-7 WAR season incoming!
So what happened in 2022 that caused that disaster if second half? Trying to remember…,
Everyone but Judge stopped hitting. Rest of the team had an OPS of like .668
The division isn’t nearly as strong as it has been in recent years and the Yankees have/get to play it less down the stretch.
Def should try to add a bat bc Stanton will have month of black hole at least. But they’re certainly stronger 1-4 than they have been in a while. And there are no Donaldson black holes that Booner feels like need to get 1300 PAs before he knows they’re washed. And even at the margins, guys like Cabrera are better than IKF.
no more weighted divisions is a big plus the yanks season. that was new last season, right?
Warren getting bombed again, ERA up to 8.5
DJ 0/2 after 0/3 yesterday but let’s bring him back next week after only 14 ABs and missing of ST because that never works out.
A single? Do they count?