(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees have lost three straight games and a whopping eight of their last 10.
They are currently without their biggest star and best player, Aaron Judge, and there is still no timetable for his return.
The situation is starting to get out of hand, and they are last in the AL East with a 50-46 record.
They are old, expensive, unathletic and inconsistent.
And, notably, it’s clear the team is just not having fun at this point.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo summed up the Yankees’ current form with a peculiar phrase.
“Anthony Rizzo: ‘It’s hard to have fun when you’re getting your teeth kicked in,’” Yankees insider Bryan Hoch tweeted after a chat with Rizzo.
Anthony Rizzo: “It’s hard to have fun when you’re getting your teeth kicked in.”
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 19, 2023
That’s very revealing.
Rizzo, in particular, was in All-Star form at the start of the season.
However, he has been ice-cold since May.
According to analyst James Smyth, he hit .303/.385/.531 with 11 home runs in his first 46 games of the 2023 campaign.
However, in his last 43 contests (since May 21), he is slashing a putrid .185/.281/.223 with no home runs.
That slugging percentage is extremely concerning.
Many people attribute his struggles to a collision he suffered at first base with Fernando Tatis Jr. in a series against the San Diego Padres.
Anthony Rizzo’s homerless streak is up to 43 games (178 PA). One thing if he was still getting on & driving in runs, but:
First 46 G Last 43 G (Since May 21)
BA .303 .185 (Lowest in MLB min 175 PA)
HR 11 0
OBP .385 .281 (5th-Lowest)
SLG .531 .223 (Lowest)
— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) July 19, 2023
The point is that everything that could have gone wrong with his season has gone wrong.
The same can be said about Judge and his injury situation, Luis Severino, DJ LeMahieu, Josh Donaldson, and the Yankees as a whole.
They can still change their fortunes with a good deadline and the return of Judge (manager Aaron Boone says he is “close”), but they are running out of time.
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