Dates: from 2024/3/20 to 2024/6/16

The previous article (Part 2) discussed the overall offensive and defensive performance of the Yankees. This article will analyze the monthly performance of the Yankees this season and how they can capitalize on their existing strengths and improve their weaknesses in order to perform better in the second half of the season against other competitors.

⚾️ Yankees Monthly Performance ⚾️

(March-April / 19 wins 12 losses)

The Yankees had an excellent start to the year, sweeping the Houston Astros 4-0 in the first series on the road, greatly boosting their morale. After the first 12 games, they had a record of 10 wins and 2 losses, with a win rate of 0.833.

However, in the latter part of April, the Yankees did not sweep their opponents as easily as in the earlier series. Even at their home field, they faced the less prominent Oakland Athletics for 4 games, finishing with 2 wins and 2 losses. Additionally, during the transition between April and May, they faced their division rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, in a single series and ended with 1 win and 3 losses. This temporarily put their record behind the Orioles, dropping them to second place.

Here is the overall performance of the Yankees in March and April:

Off / Overall Offensive Contribution

The Yankees’ batting and pitching performance in March and April was quite good. Among them, Juan Soto, acquired through offseason trades in 2023-2024, had a wRC+ of 191 and a WAR of 2.0, leading other Yankees players by a significant margin. However, during this period, many Yankees batters had a wRC+ above 110, allowing them to connect well in the batting order.

However, the performance of the starting pitchers in the first month of the season was not ideal, with many struggling with control. The FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) of the five main starting pitchers was at least 3.50, which is not ideal. However, the performance of the bullpen was outstanding, especially closer Clay Holmes, who had a perfect ERA of 0.00 during this period, allowing the Yankees to maintain their lead and secure victories.

(May / 21 wins 7 losses)

In the second full month of the 2024 MLB season (May), the Yankees performed exceptionally well, with a record of 21 wins and 7 losses. During this period, they only had two 2-game losing streaks and achieved three or more consecutive wins four times, with the longest winning streak reaching 7 games.

During this month, the Yankees faced overall weaker opponents and had a very high win rate against teams from the ‘American League Central Division,’ facing them 9 times out of the 28 games in May, winning every game.

Here is the overall performance of the Yankees in May:

In May, the Yankees’ offensive performance was outstanding, significantly leading the second-ranked Milwaukee Brewers mainly due to their high-caliber power hitting. During this period, Juan Soto maintained a high level of performance (wRC+ 172), while Aaron Judge, who had not fully hit his stride in March-April, had a monthly wRC+ of 276 and hit 14 home runs, showing remarkable performance.

Additionally, the starting pitchers performed very well this month. Only Carlos Rodon had a monthly ERA above 3.00, with the other four having ERAs below 2.50. Among them, Luis Gil pitched 38 2/3 innings in 6 starts, with an ERA of just 0.70 and an opponent batting average of a despairing 0.109.

During this period, the performance of the Yankees’ bullpen was not very stable, with many pitchers experiencing a slump. However, due to the stable performance of the starting pitchers and the high offensive contribution, the negative impact of the unstable bullpen was relatively minor.

(June / 10 wins 4 losses)

This June, the Yankees will face many strong teams, and whether they can maintain a high level of performance is a significant test. This month, they will face teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Kansas City Royals, both of whom are performing well this season. In addition, there are two series against the Baltimore Orioles and one against the Atlanta Braves. Compared to May, the schedule in June is significantly tougher.

The Yankees won all five of their games in early June, extending their winning streak from the last three games in May to 8 consecutive wins. However, they subsequently lost 2 out of 3 games at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a highly anticipated series. However, the Yankees stabilized and won 3 out of 4 games against the Kansas City Royals on the road. As for the current series of three games against their arch-rival, the Boston Red Sox (

away), the teams have each won one game as of the second game.

Here is the overall performance of the Yankees in June:

In June (this month), the Yankees’ offensive performance was not as high as in May. Although Juan Soto and Aaron Judge both had wRC+ over 200 during this period, and Giancarlo Stanton had a good performance with a wRC+ of 162, many main hitters in the lineup fell into a significant slump (e.g., Anthony Volpe wRC+ 46, Anthony Rizzo wRC+ 18), which affected the team’s overall offensive output.

Additionally, many of the Yankees’ starting pitchers experienced a slump in June, including Nestor Cortes (16 2/3 innings, ERA 4.86) and Marcus Stroman (10 innings, ERA 4.35), with their monthly ERAs not being ideal. However, Luis Gil, who had a hot performance last month, continued to perform well in June (16 2/3 innings, ERA 2.16), and Cody Poteet, who signed a one-year contract with the Yankees earlier this year, pitched 3 games in June, totaling 15 innings with an excellent ERA of 2.40.

The overall performance of the Yankees’ bullpen in June was also not ideal, with a team ERA of 4.14, ranking 21st in the league. The performance of the main bullpen pitchers was highly divided, with some performing well while others fell into a significant slump.

⚾️ What is the outlook for the rest of the season for the Yankees? ⚾️

Currently, although the Yankees’ offense is quite excellent and their monthly win rates for May and June are both over 0.700, many pitchers in the current roster are in a slump, and many hitters are also facing offensive slumps. If these players in a slump can quickly recover, it will be very helpful for the Yankees in the upcoming season.

Therefore, Gerrit Cole’s quick return to the Yankees’ starting rotation is crucial. He has been absent at the start of the season due to a shoulder injury but has recently been rehabilitating quite smoothly. If Cole can quickly return to the rotation, it will not only greatly help the overall starting rotation but also alleviate the burden on the currently struggling bullpen.

Moreover, although the Yankees’ offense has been outstanding overall this season, even leading the pack in May, many key players are currently in a slump, which has led to a decrease in scoring efficiency. If these players facing a slump can quickly adjust, it will significantly enhance the Yankees’ offensive efficiency.

It is worth noting that the Yankees have used only 2 catchers this year, Jose Trevino and Austin Wells. The Yankees’ coaching staff has kept the game and inning distribution quite even for these two catchers, allowing both to maintain their form without being overly fatigued. However, compared to other defensive positions, the catcher position has a higher risk of injury, so relying on only 2 catchers carries certain risks. In the upcoming schedule, it may be necessary to bring in a backup catcher to cope with potential injuries and ensure team stability.

This season, the Yankees have a certain level of strength in all aspects, and the overall roster is quite complete. The main challenge they face this season is that players may encounter various slumps, and how they adjust is key. If they can quickly regain their form in the remaining season, they are likely to perform quite well in terms of record.

Sources /
Fangraphs
MLB official website
Baseball Reference
Taiwan Baseball Wiki
Wikipedia
Major League Baseball Encyclopedia
Yahoo News