New York Yankees’ Offense Crumbles in Humbling Blue Jays Defeat, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto Struggle

The frenzy and noise of 47,812 fans in the Yankee Stadium made it seem like this was the peak 90s dynasty. Just a few hours ago an Earthquake had rocked New York City but here it looked like the crowd was ready to shake the ground once again. However, they never got the opportunity as the New York Yankees’ bats went quiet right when the fans were ready to erupt. From Juan Soto to captain Aaron Judge, everyone had a tough day at the job and the Yankees lost 3-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The tragic part is that Marcus Stroman’s six-inning masterclass got wasted. The pitcher struck out six batters and allowed only three hits, one walk, and an error. “This lineup, I don’t see us having many stars like that. They’re going to swing it, they’re going to score runs…Sometimes you just run into games where you’re not as hot,” Stroman said to show support for his teammates (via New York Post). But the reality was that this could be a symptom of a larger issue for the Bronx Bombers.

Both of their losses this season have come when they were shut out. It seems the offense either goes on all cylinders or doesn’t go at all. In this game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Bronx Bombers failed to touch the third base. Juan Soto went 0-4 and clearly showed his frustrations by spiking his bat and helmet down the dirt in the eighth inning after a strike call. 

Similarly, Giancarlo Stanton’s nightmarish season has continued. He stranded three runners with a pair of strikeouts. The slugger’s season is going from bad to worse with only 3 hits in 24 at-bats and an astounding 13 strikeouts. On the other hand, All Rise was able to draw 2 walks but that didn’t materialize into anything significant for the team.

However, with a 6-2 record, the Yankees still look like a formidable force. At least before one starts to go a little deeper into their numbers which gives an eerie similarity to 2023.

The New York Yankees’ hitting staff remains stagnant despite great start

Per New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the Yankees’ OPS and runs per game are lower than in 2023. The primary issue that’s hitting the Pinstripes is their tendency to stall against the starters. After all, the team has scored only one homer. For comparison’s sake, they’ve scored six homers against relievers. 

Giancarlo Stanton is continuing his bad form from 2023. However, he may actually have regressed even more this year. He’s currently batting with just a .125 average and hasn’t been a good cleanup hitter in a long time. Aaron Boone has put this on Stanton’s streakiness. However, one wonders for how long can the slugger hold on to that all-important spot. Additionally, the lack of Austin Wells in this game has also been questioned.

But then, the bottom line remains the Bronx batters were silenced once again. Is this an anomaly or a sign of clear weakness?

Read more: Juan Soto Ready for Yankees Pressure? Long-Term Fit Comes Into Question Amidst Standout First Impression