The New York Yankees at one time this season was being compared to the old Bronx Bombers with their version of the roaring 1920s. It wasn’t that the Yankees dominated the American League East, but how they were doing it. The MLBbro tag team of Giancarlo Stanton and the odds on favorite for AL MVP, Aaron Judge, was sending out baseball souvenirs at a rate that made baseball gloves as important as hats.
There are now two questions surrounding the team as of late. Number one, can Aaron Judge duplicate his MVP season numbers or maybe even surpass them?
Aaron Judge at the halfway point, compared to 2022 when he hit 62 home runs 👀
Number two, what is going on with the recent collapse of the team?
Recently, those all-time greatest New York Yankees team comparisons have ground to a halt with a slide nearly as bad as Aaron Judge’s start in April. As of this writing, the Yanks have lost four straight games and eight of their last ten. With this slide, they have also lost the division lead by percentage points to the Baltimore Orioles. Allowing the New York Mets to sweep the Subway Series with a 12-2 blowout in the finale provides enough evidence that the Yankees need retooling and quick.
It’s no real coincidence that the Yankees’ struggles (Aaron Judge is not on that list) started with the injury to Stanton during the Atlanta Braves series.
Looking at how Giancarlo Stanton rounded third base, you can see him grimacing a bit as he heads to home.”
Now, with Stanton straining his hamstring, the power surge in the middle of the lineup is missing. With one of the the leading candidates for AL Comeback Player Of the Year out, it’s time for another MLBbro to step up and fill a serious void in the lineup particularly with the pitching starting becoming an issue.
Trent Grisham…
You remember Trent Grisham… the one that stepped into the batter’s box while fans were screaming for Juan Soto. Then he showed class by hitting a home run into the seats and getting a standing ovation in the process. A “Magic Moment” if anyone ever saw one…
What gets lost in that “Magic Moment” is the fact that the Yankees fans did have just cause to ask for Juan Soto. If you thought Aaron Judge was off to a slow start to the season, Grisham made him look like the late Tony Gwynn. However over the last few games, Grisham has started to come on offensively a little bit.
Here’s the comparisons of our MLBbro’s production from the last seven games stretched out to 30 via MLB.com. Over the last seven games which coincides with the Yankees losing streak it does seem that Aaron Judge does have some help in holding down the fort until Giancarlo Stanton makes his return.
The Yankees need someone to protect Aaron Judge from teams starting to pitch around him. Trent’s two homers and three RBI while batting .400 in 10 at-bats surely qualifies. MLBbro.com reporter Gary Sheffield broke down what Grisham can bring earlier this season.
With MLBbro Stanton recovering from a hamstring strain, Trent Grisham is going to have to provide more “Magic Moments” for the Yankees to keep pace with Baltimore.
“Rolls Royce” Lewis is off to the greatest start at the plate in the 123-year history of the Minnesota Twins franchise. Since returning from injury two weeks ago, he has been the best hitter in the Majors, posting a .429/.529/1.000 slash line with five home runs and seven RBI over his last seven games to claim the top spot on Week 12 of our #HighFive list.
1. “Rolls” Royce Lewis
It is a tragedy the 2017 first overall pick has only suited up in a Twins uniform for 85 games since debuting in 2022 thanks to a handful of injuries. Similar to their superstar Byron Buxton, who also has had trouble staying on the field, Lewis is a five-tool MVP candidate every time he steps out of the dugout; the only difference is Lewis has a higher ceiling.
Lewis hit the 26th home run of his career Wednesday night, which is the most through the first 85 games in Twins history and eight more than the next closest player. “I do not do that slump thing,” Lewis told reporters postgame Wednesday after collecting an 0-for-5 Tuesday. “That is not a real thing for me. Everyday is a fresh start.”
2. Hunter Greene “Machine”
Hunter Greene was all gas no breaks in his pitching duel versus the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night.
He earned the two spot on the #HighFive list after going 6.1 shutout innings and striking out nine without walking anyone. The start was the 10th time this season Greene has had more than 15 whiffs (swings and misses) in a start, which leads the Majors, while his 98 strikeouts rank seventh in the National League.
He will take on the Pirates again next Tuesday night, this time in front of the Cincinnati faithful.
3. Giancarlo Stanton
Giancarlo Stanton is the biggest X-Factor in the Yankees lineup and has played well since June began.
This week he slashed .346/.414/.577 with two home runs, seven RBI while compiling a seven-game hitting streak. He has been one of the best hitters in the Majors with runners in scoring position this season and proved so with two big hits Wednesday against the Orioles.
First, with the Yankees down four he launched his 18th homer of the year — a three-run shot in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run game. Then, in the ninth with one out and a runner on second, Stanton singled in the tying run.
4. Josh Naylor
Thanks to being in a market as low on the totem pole as Cleveland is, Josh Naylor may not get the start at first base in the All-Star Game he rightfully deserves, but as long as he keeps mashing it at the plate, he will find his way to Arlington come July.
After a great start to the year Naylor struggled in May, hitting just .186 despite launching eight home runs. However Naylor has fought his way out of the slump, hitting .360 with a .448 on base percentage and two home runs over his last seven games. Both those homers came Wednesday night in a win over the Seattle Mariners. “When you see a swing like that, it is one that deserves to be in Texas, it can change games,” said Josh’s brother Bo Naylor when asked to campaign him for the All-Star Game.
5. Cedric “The Entertainer” Mullins
Similar to Giancarlo Stanton, Cedric Mullins is the X-Factor that will decide the ultimate success of the Baltimore Orioles this season.
Mullins, who hit his first home run since April 26th Thursday afternoon, is hitting .292 with three RBI and two steals in his last seven games.
In Wednesday’s extra inning victory over the Yankees, Mullins put his skill set on full display in the 10th inning.
Not only did he drive in what would end up being the game-winning run, he also stole third and caused a wild throw into the outfield to add on another. “That is what he can do when he gets on base,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said postgame when speaking on Mullins.
“He gets a single, a lot of times it is a double. If he gets a double, he gets an opportunity to take third. There is a lot he can do on the bases for us.”
The NY Yankees have gotten plenty of contributions from their star players, Aaron Judge Juan Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton. Mark and Manny debate which player is most important to the Yankees World Series hopes this season?
Major League Baseball re-enters the “Must-see TV” realm this weekend when the New York Yankees face the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time this season. This series is definitely an early season preview to a potential World Series showdown in October. It definitely has the star power. Not only are MLBbros Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts the headliners, but they have superstar tag team partners in Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani as well.
While the Dodgers have the largest lead in their division at eight games, the Yankees are the class of professional baseball. After sweeping the Minnesota Twins for the ENTIRE SEASON, the Yanks are riding an eight-game winning streak and are only percentage points behind the Phillies for the best record in the game.
This rivalry is old, but not as old as the mystique of the New York Yankees championship pedigree that is evident with the superstars, the managers and most importantly the history… 27 World Series championships. But their success on the baseball diamond didn’t match the headlines around their off-field drama through the ‘70s which kind of rekindled in the ‘90s.
The George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin feud with the constant hiring and firing.
The Reggie Jackson era where his “Mr. October” legacy was born and lives to this day. Like the man has his own candy bar!
The jealousy of fans of other teams watching the stars either pine to the big stage in pinstripes or getting there and obtaining their dreams of attention and money!
Then there’s the World Series dominance over the Dodgers going back to the Brooklyn days!
It’s no secret that Yankees paraphernalia has been an easy sell over the years. Even casual sports fans have a Yankees hat in their collection. But with the combination of having possibly the top three power hitters in the game in Juan Soto and MLBbros Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the New York Yankees could be building their next dynasty.
But this team is more than big bats as Alex Rodriguez discusses here.
This is no longer a team that depends on power and three-run homers to demoralize opponents. The Yankees have improved almost every aspect of not only their offense but their defense and pitching as well. When this week started, the Bronx Bombers led the majors in four vital categories: OPS, ERA, homers and winning percentage.
Major League Baseball needs casual fans to join the party and the Yankees can be the catalyst. With Aaron Judge dominating the news cycle breaking the American League home run record a couple of seasons back, he is the reminder to fans to tune into every Yankees game on television to see what the hype is about.
But if the Yankees build their dynasty, this might be more like the MLBbro icon Reggie Jackson-led Yankees in the late ‘70s than the Derek Jeter-led ‘90s dynasty. Why? Reggie’s teams were just powerful and built their identity around home runs. Even though those teams were well-rounded, the big bats made the headlines. It was how those Yankees teams were winning that captured the attention of the sports world.
But there are sports fans that don’t root for Goliath; they want to see him fall. Which is how baseball gets to pop culture.
If the Yankees continue this run for the next few years, the only baseball fans that enjoy it will be in the Bronx. The rest will root for their demise. That’s something Major League Baseball is missing that other sports own and make bank off of.
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers with the ultimate lightning rod in LeBron James
NFL: It used to be the New England Patriots with Tom Brady, now it’s the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes
WNBA: Unless you have been under a rock… Caitlyn Clark in just a few games!
Naming the Yankees a potential dynasty before they’ve even won one championship may be conceived as putting the cart before the horse, but this series against the Dodgers is the start of the media hype. The ingredients are already there: The best player. The best team. The top media market in America.
Now we get to watch and see how long it takes for the Yankees to get their old enemies back!
Chris Bolton highlights the first place New York Yankees’ dynamic power duo of #MLBbros Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Are they the best in the business?
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