“They’re Getting Killed” Yankees’ Slide Forces Top Insider to Question Team’s Overdependence on Its ”Two-Man” Lineup

There’s something truly bizarre taking place in the New York Yankees right now. The team which until a few weeks ago looked unbeatable is now collecting losses from every direction. Whether it be the Boston Red Sox the Atlanta Braves the New York Mets or now, the Toronto Blue Jays, losses are constant. That has forced Top Insider, Jon Heyman to question the team’s dependence on its “two-man” lineup of Aaron Judge and the Dominican slugger Juan Soto.

What looked like the birth of a new start turned out to be a false dawn for the Yankees. They followed up their 16-run game with a 3-run one. Suddenly the bats were silent again. Despite Aaron Judge’s efforts, the Yankees couldn’t cope with the loss of Juan Soto. And that has once again brought to light the key issue in the team – their dependence on Judge and Soto. Jon Heyman talked about it in the latest episode of Around the Bases.

“It’s a two-man lineup,” said Jon Heyman. “Those two men are good. Judge looks like the MVP so far, Soto’s certainly in the top three but the rest of that lineup is unbelievably bad right now.” This has been a pattern of the Yankees for the past few years. Other than Aaron Judge, the rest of the hitting staff tends to blow hot and cold. Now with Juan Soto’s arrival, All Rise at least has one companion. But even then the issue remains strong. 

“We’ve already bashed them enough but I mean, come one, they’re getting killed every day,” Heyman said. “Their lineup is in disarray, it’s terrible.” That’s certainly a take that most of the Yankees fanbase would agree with. Their team has currently lost 10 of their last 13 games. More importantly, the hitters aren’t playing their due part. Though even the pitchers haven’t been up to par lately.

As a result, the question remains: Can the Yankees improve? Will the trade window provide enough to fill all the gaps? Chances are it won’t, especially given the lack of quality options.

New York Yankees’ trade deadline issues

The primary issue is that the Bronx Bombers are uncertain about their weaknesses. Both their hitting and pitching staff have faltered simultaneously, making it challenging for management to address both areas concurrently. Although recent rumors suggested they were targeting Vladimir Guerrero Jr., there hasn’t been substantial follow-through yet. The bullpen situation appears somewhat more promising.

As Heyman said, the Yankees can go for Marlins’ Tanner Scott or maybe Oakland Athletics’ Mason Miller. However, even then the team needs its starters to improve, especially Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon. “Maybe Gil has hit his limit with the innings but you’re going to have to hope that Cole and Rodon figure it out because if they don’t, they’re not going to be anywhere,” Heyman said.

Certainly, there’s a significant issue facing the New York Yankees, and it requires urgent resolution. Can the team find a solution soon enough to prevent a complete collapse? The Bronx faithful certainly hope so.