The Yankees Are Somehow Historically Good and Bad at the Same Time

The New York Yankees rotation is playing at a historic rate, and what's most unfortunate for them is that the lineup is too, just for all the wrong reasons.

There's only so much New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler and the other hurlers can do on the mound if they aren't getting much run support. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Most starting pitchers would be happy to pitch into the sixth inning, strike out seven, and let up four hits and one earned run. That was the place Cam Schlittler found himself against the Toronto Blue Jays, and yet, by the standards the New York Yankees starters have set, that's what constitutes a poor start — and that says more about the high bar this rotation has set rather than what Schlittler did.

The issue with the Yankees is their offense, and their rotation has been pitching as advertised. In fact, they could be better than what was expected of them. When Max Fried returned from the injured list, and their three horses (Gerrit Cole, Fried, and Schlittler) had the opportunity to finally pitch together as a unit, this rotation immediately showed it could be the best in baseball.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole has a 1.93 ERA across three starts this month. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since Fried's return on July 22, the Yankees' starter ERA (2.45) has been ranked first in baseball. Their 128.2 innings pitched is third, but only by a small margin. The Arizona Diamondbacks lead baseball during this span with 131.2 IP. They also lead baseball in strikeouts with 151.

The Yankees' starting rotation's only blemish is that they walk batters at a middling rate. Their 39 walks rank 14th in baseball, which, if that's their only weakness, they could certainly live with.

If Carlos Rodon returns to form upon his activation, September could be a promising month for the Yankees. They're so good, Ryan Weathers, who would be a third starter in most rotations, is likely headed to the bullpen. The issue, of course, is the offense. Despite how much the Yankees' rotation has been rolling, they can't hit, and it doesn't matter how good this rotation is. If they aren't putting up runs, they won't be winning much.

The historically bad Yankees' lineup

During this same span, the Yankees' collective .199 average is ranked dead last in the majors. Their 74 wRC+ is the second-worst in baseball. Only the Los Angeles Angels are worse with 72. New York also has a .620 OPS, the second-worst in the sport. However, the Angels are again the worst with .611.

It's hard to imagine that, for as good as the rotation has been, the lineup has been the exact opposite. One is the best, and the other is the worst, and the result every night is an agonizing watch, where a triumvirate of aces isn't even enough to take a series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

If the Yankees aren't completely blanking a team, they may not even win. One run is too much of a deficit at this point. We saw it was the case against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, when they lost 1-0.

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