Yankee Status Report 8.21 - 8.27: Yankees drop both series and some prospects arrive

Welcome back to The Pinstripe Weekly Recap! This week, the Yankees navigated through a series of ups and downs, resulting in a 2-4 record. Let's delve into the details of their performance against the Nationals and Rays, and highlight the notable moments from both ends of the spectrum.

Team Performance Overview

The Yankees encountered a challenging week, facing off against the Nationals and Rays. The team finished with a 2-4 record, battling their way through a series of tough matchups. The offense struggled, maintaining a team average of just .197 and a high strikeout rate of 27.1%. Despite this, the Yankees managed to maintain a positive run differential of +4, largely due to decisive victories against the Nationals (9-1) and the Rays (6-2).

Pinstripe Positives

Luis Severino's Redemption: One of the week's bright spots was Luis Severino's impressive performance. He threw 6.2 innings of shutout baseball, offering a glimmer of hope that he might be turning his season around. While this dominant outing came against the Nationals, it's an encouraging sign for a pitcher who has faced his share of struggles.

Gerrit Cole's dominance continues: Gerrit Cole once again showcased his dominance on the mound. In a masterful display against the Rays, Cole pitched 7.2 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out an impressive 11 batters with zero walks. His ability to control the game's tempo remains a pillar of strength for the Yankees.

Clarke Schmidt's Milestone Moment: Clarke Schmidt reached a significant milestone by pitching into the 7th inning for the first time in his career, facing the Rays. His 12.1 innings, coupled with 13 strikeouts, demonstrated his growing prowess and potential as a valuable asset to the team's rotation.

DJ LeMahieu's Resurgence: DJ LeMahieu has been turning heads with his improved second-half performance. Hitting .381 for the week with four home runs, six runs, and five walks, he's making his mark as a consistent offensive force. His recent form mirrors the player the Yankees secured with a long-term contract, further solidifying his importance to the team.

Disappointments

Aaron Judge's Struggles: While Aaron Judge had a notable three-homer game, he encountered difficulties outside of that exceptional performance. On the week Judge hit .167 with 11Ks, but if you take away his three-homer game his average for the week drops to .050 (1/20). His challenges were particularly evident against the Rays, going 0-12 with 8 strikeouts during the weekend series.

Harrison Bader's Struggles: Harrison Bader's offensive struggles were compounded by a throwing error in Sunday's game, costing the team a valuable run. On the week, Bader hit .111 with 5Ks, which looks even worse when the pitcher they traded for him (Jordon Montgomery) continues to stack quality outings.

Bullpen Blowups: The backend duo of Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle struggles continued this week.  Clay Holmes only made one appearance, but in his inning of work allowed 4 hits and 1ER runs, continuing his struggles as of late.  Kahnle continues to disappoint this season, allowing 5 hits and 4 ER runs over 2.2 innings of work (three games).  These two were suppose to be shutdown arms and have been the opposite of that since the all star break.

Other Notable Observations

Carlos Rodon's Progress: Carlos Rodon demonstrated improvement this week, pitching 10.2 innings and allowing only three earned runs. While his performance was encouraging, he needs to build on this momentum, particularly as he acclimates to pitching in Yankee Stadium. His reduction in walks, a key factor in his success, bodes well for his development.  It's also important to note that his start against the nationals could've gone a lot worse, as he gave up a lot of hard contact and benefited from National base running errors.

Young Talent: Everson Pereira made his debut with the Yankees this week after Yankees have been calling for him to be called up for many weeks now.  Pereira went 3-for-22 this week with 1 double, but he was slotted in the clean up spot on Sunday showing the Yankees have high expectations for him and will deal with the expected growing pains. Meanwhile, Oswald Peraza continues to work through his challenges, striving to adapt to the demands of the big league level, but with consistent playing time it will give the team valuable answers about what they can expect from the young infielder.