Feast or Famine

 One month into the 2024 season there’s some good, there’s some really good, and then there’s some head scratching bad.  

The good will be good enough to get the Bombers to the postseason.  The really good, could be the difference maker in the team capturing #28.  Unfortunately, if not corrected, the bad will most assuredly mean a quick exit from the postseason. 

In short, one month in, it has been feast or famine.  

The Good: Verdugo a key acquisition.  Energy.  Has already proven to be a solid glove with run saving catches in close games.  If this kid finishes the season with a BA greater than .250 - it'll be one of the best under the radar type signings in recent Cashman era.  Luke Weaver is getting better with every outing. An often overlooked component to the Yankees championship dynasty is how clutch the Middle Relief was - Luke Weaver could be the that. Volpe and Cabrera are improved year over year, and are a few years away from all-stars.  

The Very Good:  Juan Soto is everything and more than he was billed to be.  He is a superstar. He is aggressive, he has charisma, he is intimating.  I'm glad he's in Pinstripes. He is a mixture of Reggie Jackson and Gary Sheffield.  Carlos Rodon's improvement is hard to overstate. The rotation needed someone to step up in Cole's absence and he's doing it with quality starts.  He's in shape, he's got a good headspace about him, and could prove to be the best #2 starter in the league.  

The Bad.  With as frequently as Juan Soto, Oswaldo Cabrera and Anthony Volpe have gotten on base, Aaron Judge should be leading the majors in RBIs.  Instead he is leading in LOB and hitting into double plays. Which has fed into a highly inconsistent team level production on the offensive side of the ball.  

In April the Yankees have scored 2 or few runs 9 times, including being shut out 5 times.  These games are when they are facing number 1 and 2 starters in a series.  Who do you think they will face in playoff series?  The top 3 starters.  

Which is why, if Judge and a few others cannot figure out how to have productive ABs in high leverage situations, they will be out in the first round of the playoffs regardless of who the opponent is.  

They have demonstrated the ability to pound number 4 and 5 starters into oblivion (see last 2 games against the Brewers with 15 runs scored each), but that's not what they need to win it all.  

Opening Month Grade:  B+

#Yankees #MLB #ALEast #Judge #Soto