Long-time Yankee manager, Joe Girardi, had this saying when things headed south for the Yankees: “It’s not what you want.”  SU says that Aaron Boone may want to try this out given how the season has started.  Of course, it’s a long season and 4-4 is better than 1-7 for example.  But SU was on this way back during the winter after the Stanton signing.  Here are the troubling signs for this team:

• The line-up is way, way too right-handed.  It seems like every starter these days is a righty and the Yankee hitters don’t hit right-handed pitching well.  Stanton stands so far off the plate and is only looking to hit to right field.  Sanchez looks lost – every ball is a grounder to shortstop or 3rd base.  I know Hicks and Bird are hurt and they will add some pop from the left side when they return and assuming they can stay on the field.  But if you watch Tyler Austin, Andujar, Stanton, Sanchez, Judge, etc., you just don’t feel they will get a hit.
• Do you remember Brian McCann?  He was another guy that SU felt would never get a hit when he came to the plate.  A left-handed version of Todd Frazier.  The Yankee line-up has a lot of these hitters.  Tyler Wade?  Cashman loves him but I continue to say he is over-matched and over-powered at the plate.  Boone prefers to not play Torreyes and has limited his at bats.
• Last night, CC went out after 4 innings with a sore hip and the Yankees apparently don’t have a long man in the bullpen.  Kahnle threw 48 pitches over 2 innings.  This was Tanyon Sturtz and Scott Proctor like with Joe Torre using them so much their careers were cut short.  Girardi would never have left a reliever in for that many pitches.  Let’s monitor his next few outings to see if he develops arm or shoulder issues.
• SU does not understand the logic of batting Judge and Stanton back to back.  You have to put Didi in between as he is the only guy really hitting so far of the big boppers.
• And finally, the games are boring.  SU multi-tasked through last night’s game including a nap at some point.  They can’t score without the benefit of the home run.  Judge and Stanton had bloop singles to knock in runs but increasingly, you get the feeling that this is an all or nothing line up.  They may still get to 100 wins if the bullpen straightens itself out but it’s not the right recipe for the post-season.  I know Stanton is signed through 2027 and I know as some have said on this blog that he is a “generational player” but for SU, he is still too much of an all or nothing hitter.

Next week, they go to Boston for 3 games in the cold weather.  Again, it’s April – no need to panic.  But Drury is on the DL as of this morning with migraines, CC is on the DL with the hip, Sanchez left last night’s game with cramps and Chapman was examined by the trainer last night for loss of velocity.  Stanton will be in left field; better hope he doesn’t crash into the Green Monster as he is no doubt not familiar with playing there.

It’s not what you want…