The New York Yankees Are In Serious Trouble, And You Really Hate To See It

For much of the first few months of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the New York Yankees seemed like World Series favorites. 

But as one of the most popular cliches says, the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. And just over halfway through the marathon, the Yankees are suddenly slipping. 

Entering Saturday afternoon, the Yankees are just 13-17 in their last 30 games. In an even more significant and concerning sign, they're a woeful 5-15 in their last 20 and 2-8 in their last 10. Even those records undersell what happened on Friday night against the rival Boston Red Sox.

Their troubles started in the 3rd inning, when Anthony Volpe didn't hustle down the line from third, taking a run off the board when DJ LeMahieu was tagged out.

Still though, the Yankees recovered to take a 3-1 lead into the top of the 9th inning. The usually reliable Clay Holmes, however, has been struggling, allowing eight runs in his last 6.2 innings pitched. Two of those runs came on a game-tying, two out, two strike home run by Masataka Yoshida.

Tommy Kahnle then cemented the Yankees' misery by allowing a two-run homer in the top of the 10th. 

It's a perfect summation of what's happened in New York the past month, and the serious flaws they have moving forward.

BRONX, NY - JUNE 18: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees is hit in the hand by a pitch from Albert Suárez #49 of the Baltimore Orioles(not pictured) during the third inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 18, 2024 at Yankee Stadium  Bronx, New York.   (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

New York Yankees Facing Uphill Climb To Win AL East

The Yankees, for several months, could count on Gerrit Cole's return to shore up their starting rotation. But Cole's struggled through his first three starts with significantly diminished velocity and strike out rates.

But it's not just starting pitching; since the start of June, the Yankees rank 28th in bullpen ERA ahead of just the last place Toronto Blue Jays and last place Colorado Rockies. The offense too, has taken a step back; despite the heroics of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, over that same time period New York is just 13th on offense. 

When the lineup is clicking, there's enough talent to paper over pitching issues, but DJ LaMahieu, Trent Grisham, Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo have struggled. With Giancarlo Stanton out since late June, the Yankees on any given day may have just two or three above league average hitters in the lineup.

Their struggles have given the Baltimore Orioles an opening, and they've taken advantage of it. Baltimore's gained five games in the standings in the last 30, opening up a three game lead in the AL East. And in just a matter of weeks, the Yankees have gone from overwhelming favorites to significant underdogs, according to Fangraphs' division winning probabilities.

The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, but with few sellers, making significant acquisitions might be difficult. Relievers, perhaps the Yankees biggest need, are notoriously unreliable, and there might be less offense available now than at any deadline in recent memory.

Anthony Rizzo is expected back at some point later this season, and Stanton has made progress. But neither have been exceptionally valuable in 2024 regardless. There's still enough talent to secure a postseason berth, and per Fangraphs, they're well over 90% to return to playoff baseball. 

But a best-of-three wild card series is hardly what Yankees fans expected early on. It might be the best they can hope for.