Yankees offense still looking a bit like last year’s despite quick start
Marcus Stroman on his way to warm up and Juan Soto as he took right field for the first time both played to the Bleacher Creatures, exhorting and encouraging … and embracing the moment.
These were not your staid Yankees. These were not your buttoned-up Yankees. These were not your all-business Yankees.
Members of the organization have wanted to talk about 2023 as much as a criminal yearns to discuss the day he was sentenced to jail.
And in their dog barking and their extroverted behavior and their six wins in seven games on the road to open the schedule, they have been able to distance themselves from the topic of last season.
But even within a 6-2 opening record and the additions of Soto and Alex Verdugo and more lefty hitting in general is that the Yankees’ offense of 2024 has had overtones to 2023.
Their OPS and runs per game through eight contests are actually both lower than last season. In a home-opening 3-0 loss Friday, the bats went quiet — and took the 47,812 with them into silence.
Blue Jays. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“The crowd ready to go, ready to erupt, but unfortunately we didn’t get it going offensively to really blow the roof off,” Aaron Boone said.
The Yankees managed just six hits, all singles. They had two runners reach second and none third as they went 1-for-8 with men on base.
They continue to stall early in games against starters, in this case Blue Jays lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
Through eight games, the Yankees have one homer and 13 runs against starters and six homers and 19 runs against relievers.
The culprits early are many. Anthony Volpe (.423), Oswaldo Cabrera (.346) and Soto (.303) are the only Yankees over .226.
Giancarlo Stanton with all the optimism of less weight and, thus, less strain on his lower half, is batting .125 and has struck out in 13 of 24 at-bats.
Boone continues to mention his streakiness as a way to suggest better times are coming — but that was the message throughout a dismal 2023 as well.
Stanton batted cleanup against a southpaw and it is going to be hard for even Boone to justify such a status for much longer with this version of Stanton, who has come to bat 11 times with a runner on base and fanned in seven.
That the Yankees have won six of eight so far is a reflection of a few late-game assaults on bullpens and just how strong their run prevention has been.
Stroman has not allowed an earned run in 12 innings over two starts, delivering six shutout frames Friday, subduing the Blue Jays with his cutter, sinker and precision.
Caleb Ferguson surrendered a homer to the first batter he faced, Ernie Clement, in relief of Stroman and Nick Burdi allowed two runs in the ninth, mainly due to three wild pitches.
None of that was encouraging on a day when the Yankees announced key setup man Jonathan Loaisiga was going to miss an extended period (perhaps the rest of the season) with a flexor tendon injury.
But the Yankees lost because they were shut out for the second time in eight games.
With the Yankees down 1-0 and two outs in the seventh, Boone did not go to Cabrera to hit for Jon Berti against righty Trevor Richards, nor did he turn to Austin Wells to bat for Jose Trevino to open the eighth.
Richards historically has reverse splits and handles lefties better, which Boone indicated went into his decision not to gain the lefty-righty matchup in both cases.
Nevertheless, Richards gave up six homers in 137 plate appearances to lefties last year compared to seven in 178 to righties. It was a one-run game.
There was the short porch.
And, as opposed to last season, Boone has legitimate lefty options. The three righties who faced Richards were hitless with two strikeouts, but Richards also whiffed the lone lefty he faced — Soto. To close the eighth.
And Soto responded by spiking his bat and helmet, a coda to a day that began with him bowing and waving to the Bleacher Creatures.
“It’s frustration,” Soto said. “You want to do something for this fanbase.
To get your team going. And you have the chance to do it and you couldn’t get it done. It really makes you mad.
At the end of the day, that is my fault. I shouldn’t do that (slam the equipment). But things happen.”
What happened Friday — what has happened a lot even within a strong 6-2 record — is that the Yankee offense has too often resembled the organization’s least favorite subject: 2023.
