Yankees Midseason Report Card: How the Bronx Bombers Are Doing

What’s Going On With the Yankees?

The New York Yankees are a baseball team in the American League East (one of the groups of teams they compete with). Right now:

They have won 54 games and lost 42.
They are 3 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in their group.
Sometimes they look like the best team in the whole league.
Other times they look like they have big problems and need fixes.

Even though they are not perfect, the American League (AL) is weak this year. That means the Yankees are almost surely going to the postseason (the special games after the regular season to decide the champion). They would need a huge collapse to miss it.

Important Point: According to FanGraphs (a website that calculates sports odds), the Yankees have a 97.2% chance of making the playoffs.

Their manager (the head coach), Aaron Boone, said on Sunday:

“We’ve given ourselves a chance to realize all our hopes and dreams. Our goal is to play for and win a championship, and that’s still there for the taking. It’s going to be a long road, a tough road, but hopefully one that we’re up to the challenge for.”

The Yankees start playing again on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the World Series (the final championship) two years in a row.

Why Are We Grading the Players?

Now that the season is halfway done, we are giving midseason grades to the Yankees players. Think of it like a school report card:

A = amazing
B = good
C = okay/average
D = not good
F = failing
Incomplete = we haven’t seen enough to judge

Two writers, Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty, gave their own grades.

Note: Pitchers (people who throw the ball) with 5 or fewer games played, and hitters (people who bat) with fewer than 35 turns at bat, are not included.

Pitchers (The Throwers)

David Bednar, RHP (Right-Handed Pitcher)

Kirschner grade: B+
Kuty grade: A-
He changed how often he used his curveball (a slow, bending pitch) after a bad game on May 17. Since then, almost no one can hit him.
He hasn’t allowed an earned run (a run that counts against him) since May 18.

Jake Bird, RHP

Kirschner grade: D-
Kuty grade: D
He doesn’t walk many batters (let them get on base for free), but he throws too many easy-to-hit pitches.
Kuty thinks another team should try to fix him before the trade deadline (the last day teams can swap players).

Paul Blackburn, RHP

Kirschner grade: A
Kuty grade: A
He has been a awesome surprise. He earned trust as a reliever (someone who pitches after the starter).

Angel Chivilli, RHP

Kirschner grade: Incomplete
Kuty grade: Incomplete
He throws very fast (97.8 mph) and has been okay lately, but may not be on the playoff team.

Gerrit Cole, RHP

Kirschner grade: C
Kuty grade: B-
He is coming back from Tommy John surgery (a big arm operation). His numbers are okay but not great yet.
The Yankees need him to throw more accurately by October.

Fernando Cruz, RHP

Kirschner grade: A
Kuty grade: A
He has been spectacular. He strikes out lots of batters and gets out of tough spots.
He has a 2.25 ERA (earned run average — lower is better) and an 11.3 strikeouts-per-9-innings rate.

Camilo Doval, RHP

Kirschner grade: F
Kuty grade: D-
He throws super hard but has been very unreliable. He may get sent to the minor leagues.

Max Fried, LHP (Left-Handed Pitcher)

Kirschner grade: B
Kuty grade: A-
He had an elbow injury in May but still pitched well (3.21 ERA).

Brent Headrick, LHP

Kirschner grade: A+
Kuty grade: A
Might be their best reliever. ERA of 1.55! Boone believed in him before the season.

Tim Hill, LHP

Kirschner grade: F
Kuty grade: C-
Right-handed batters hit him very well. He has struggled since May.

Carlos Rodón, LHP

Kirschner grade: B
Kuty grade: B
Usually pitches 5–6 innings and allows 3 or fewer runs. Steady.

Cam Schlittler, RHP

Kirschner grade: A+
Kuty grade: A+
Early favorite for the AL Cy Young Award (best pitcher). A huge success story.

Will Warren, RHP

Kirschner grade: C
Kuty grade: C+
Has talent but is inconsistent.

Ryan Weathers, LHP

Kirschner grade: C
Kuty grade: B-
Solid back-of-rotation starter. Gives up too many home runs.

Ryan Yarbrough, LHP

Kirschner grade: D
Kuty grade: C
A “mop-up guy” (pitches when game is already decided).

Hitters (The Batters)

J.C. Escarra, C (Catcher)

Kirschner grade: D
Kuty grade: C-
Hasn’t hit well in limited chances.

Ali Sánchez, C

Kirschner grade: Incomplete
Kuty grade: C
Played 18 games; okay while they look for a better catcher.

Austin Wells, C

Kirschner grade: F
Kuty grade: D-
His hitting has been disastrous. Only good at framing (helping pitcher get strikes).

José Caballero, UTIL (Utility)

Kirschner grade: B
Kuty grade: B+
Plays many positions; might be their best shortstop right now.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B (Second Base)

Kirschner grade: D
Kuty grade: D+
Below expectations in a contract year (year before free agency).

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B (First Base)

Kirschner grade: A
Kuty grade: A-
Signed as a backup but forced to play more; has been great.

Ryan McMahon, 3B (Third Base)

Kirschner grade: D
Kuty grade: D-
Making $16 million but hitting poorly; defense also down.

Ben Rice, 1B

Kirschner grade: A+
Kuty grade: A+
Special hitter; delivers in big moments.

Amed Rosario, 3B

Kirschner grade: D
Kuty grade: B-
Hits righties well but not lefties; bad defender.

Max Schuemann, UTIL

Kirschner grade: A
Kuty grade: A
Does everything asked; gets on base a lot.

Anthony Volpe, SS (Shortstop)

Kirschner grade: C
Kuty grade: D+
Elite defender but hasn’t become the star many hoped.

Cody Bellinger, LF (Left Field)

Kirschner grade: B
Kuty grade: A-
Great defense; slowing down at bat since June.

Jasson Domínguez, LF/RF

Kirschner grade: D-
Kuty grade: D
Disappointing on both offense and defense.

Trent Grisham, CF (Center Field)

Kirschner grade: B
Kuty grade: C
Unlucky in April, better since; needs more offense for his salary.

Spencer Jones, OF (Outfielder)

Kirschner grade: B-
Kuty grade: B-
Better than expected in 30 games but strikes out a lot.

Aaron Judge, RF

Kirschner grade: B
Kuty grade: A
Still great (149 wRC+), but down from last year; was hurt.

Giancarlo Stanton, DH (Designated Hitter)

Kirschner grade: F
Kuty grade: D-
Only 24 games due to calf injuries; not enough production.

Summary

The Yankees are 54-42 and almost certain to reach the playoffs (97.2% per FanGraphs). They have strong pitchers like Schlittler, Headrick, and Cruz, and hitters like Rice and Goldschmidt. But they have weak spots at catcher, third base, and some outfielders. They restart Friday vs. the Dodgers, and the second half will show if they can win it all.

FAQ

1. What does “wRC+” mean?
It’s a number that shows how good a hitter is compared to the average player. 100 is average. Above 100 is better, below is worse.

2. What is the trade deadline?
It’s the last day teams can trade players with each other, happening soon in this story.

3. Why are some grades “Incomplete”?
Because the player hasn’t played enough for the writers to fairly judge them.

4. What is Tommy John surgery?
It’s an operation on the elbow that helps pitchers throw again after a bad injury; it takes a long time to recover.

5. Are the Yankees definitely going to the playoffs?
Almost — 97.2% chance — but they’d have to completely fall apart to miss it.

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