After a dominant first half of the 2022 season, the New York Yankees have stumbled quite a bit here in the second half.
They came out of the gates cold and have not gotten themselves back on the right track.
They lost the best record in all of baseball, got swept in St. Louis, lost a few series to the Seattle Mariners, and ultimately let the Houston Astros take control of the best record in the American League.
It’s been hard to stomach for Yankees fans.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted a list of all contenders in the American League and their second half records to date.
The Yankees are tied with the Boston Red Sox for the worst record at 8-14.
The American League contenders since the All-Star break:
Houston Astros:16-9
Cleveland Guardians: 15-9
Baltimore Orioles: 13-9
Chicago White Sox: 13-10
Toronto Blue Jays: 11-9
Seattle Mariners: 11-12
TB Rays: 9-12
Minnesota Twins: 8-11
Boston Red Sox: 8-14
NY Yankees: 8-14— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 14, 2022
Yanks On A Slide
While the Yankees still hold a commanding lead in the American League East, it’s worth wondering whether they’ll be able to go deep in the postseason when the time comes.
They’ve lost a few key members of their bullpen to injuries, the offense has been stagnant, and the pitching staff hasn’t been quite as strong.
The Yankees almost look like a different team here in the second half than in the first half.
Things got even worse when they were shut down by Michael Wacha last night and ultimately lost two out of three to the rival Red Sox.
In fact, the Yankees have yet to win a series since the weekend of July 29-31, right around the trade deadline.
There is definitely some cause for concern for this ballclub.
It hasn’t been a smooth ride out of the gates in the second half.
The Yankees still do sit at 72-43, however.
We’ll see if they can turn it around and reclaim the top spot in the American League.
