New York Yankees: A Statistic that Must Continue on the Quest to 28
By: Jim Pizappi
2019 has been a very interesting year for the New York Yankees thus far. Whether it has been the devastating injuries to major players, the men who stepped up behind them, or the suspect starting pitching from guys you expect more from, this season has had it all. As the Yankees wind down their final west coast trip of the year (thank goodness, I’m tired), I’d like to highlight something this team has done exceptionally well that is a key reason they are competing for home field advantage with their sights set on their first World Series appearance of the 2010’s. Hitting with runners in scoring position.
The Yankees lead all of Major League Baseball with a .298 BA with men in scoring position, a massive contributor to their stellar record. This has been especially important given the fact that their starting pitchers have been anything but consistent. It’s no secret the Yanks can hit the ball out of the park. Hell, they crushed the record for most home runs in a month EVER with a few games still to go. This season, however, they can do even more thanks to a well-rounded lineup.
The following numbers are ranks in the American League. We all know the legend of DJ LeMahieu with RISP, who is hitting .398 in those situations and trails only Miguel Cabrera (wow), but how about Gio Urshela who is right behind him? Gio is hitting .374 with RISP, and man do Aaron Boone and company have some tough decisions to make when guys like Luke Voit, Edwin Encarnacion and Giancarlo Stanton come back. Gleyber Torres is also hitting .357 with RISP in the middle of a MONSTER season at 22 years old. This is going to be a difference maker for the Yankees moving forward because in playoffs’ past (see the 2017 ALCS) the Yankees just could not get the job done with men in scoring position.
Not only have the Yankees been hitting with men on, they have been hitting for power. They lead everyone and their mother with an .894 OPS with RISP. I am not the biggest advanced stats guy, I think things like WAR and what not are for the birds, but OPS is a very telling number. Do you get on base and do you hit for extra bases? The Yankees do both of these things exceptionally well, especially with a few ducks in the pond.
If the Yankees are going to roll out a playoff rotation consisting of Tanaka, Paxton, German and some combination of arms for a bullpen game, they will need to hit the ball when they inevitably create some traffic. Their team OBP of .343 suggests they will have baserunners since this is good for third in the majors. So there you have it, as long as starters aren’t giving up 8 runs in 3 innings (please, PLEASE do not do that) then the Yankees have the ability to beat anyone. Yes, even them.