Yankees' Losing Streak Isn't a Reflection of Their Championship Aspirations

The Yankees have hit a cold spell but this version of them isn't what will show up to the playoffs.

Even if things are going smoothly for the Yankees, that doesn't mean they aren't World Series contenders anymore. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Gerrit Cole got knocked around for five earned runs on Monday night. The Yankees never recovered, falling to the lowly Tigers 5-1 in the series opener at home, and have now dropped three straight. It's their longest losing streak since May, and even though these prolonged spells of losing usually highlight some weakness within the organization, it's hard to see that here.

The fact is, once October rolls around, they won't have Spencer Jones batting cleanup, Anthony Volpe hitting fifth, or Jasson Domínguez experimenting in right field. José Caballero shouldn't be thrown out into the outfield either. Injuries have plagued the Yankees, and that is exactly why things have been wonky for them once their captain, Aaron Judge, went down.

Shorthanded lineup is behind Yankees' skid

It's hard to score runs when the best hitter of this generation is out, and, on top of that, two of the lineup's more productive sluggers, Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham, are also on the shelf. Losing Grisham, especially, has hurt the Yankees.

Even with Judge out, the Yankees were able to cut the Rays' lead down to the point where they were able to overcome a five-run deficit. They now hold a two-game lead in the American League East. A big reason for that was Grisham's bat.

From May 1 until he went down on June 12, he hit .290/.373/.473 with a 137 wRC+. He also had four homers and 10 doubles.

The Yankees miss Trent Grisham's bat as the veteran outfielder remains sidelined. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

You lose a bat like that and replace him with the likes of Domínguez, who is a wild card in the outfield and still green at the plate; they're, of course, going to do some losing. Even the most ardent Domínguez defenders would admit he has been a downgrade at the plate from Grisham.

That's why, as the Yankees' lineup becomes healthier, fans shouldn't lose hope in any World Series dreams.

Yankees' reinforcements are coming

This is why it isn't a forced optimism to say that this incarnation of the Yankees won't be a reflection of them at the height of their powers, and the best thing to do is have some patience until reinforcements arrive. Just look at how much value they lost in these few short months.

Grisham had a 0.9 WAR, according to Fangraphs. Judge had a 2.1 WAR. Fried had a 1.9 WAR. Giancarlo Stanton had only a 0.1 WAR, but that was because he went down early.

Until these guys come back, the one thing the Yankees need to do is stay afloat in first place or, if the slide goes a little longer, at least be close to it. It may not be pretty, but Max Schuemann isn't going to replicate what Grisham or no Judge can do suddenly.

On top of getting some additions off the injured list, it does feel like the Yankees will be active ahead of the August trade deadline as well. Catcher, reliever and third base are all positions that general manager Brian Cashman could look to upgrade, improving the club's championship odds.

Whether they get Tarik Skubal is up in the air because he'll have a bevy of suitors, but if this year's deadline was anything like last year, the Yankees will be busy. What fans see night in and night out these days could feel like some distant echo after the trade deadline, building optimism that New York's World Series aspirations are still within reach.