The Yankees offense has exploded this year. They stand behind just the MLB-leading Blue Jays in runs scored with 525 (entering play Wednesday), which is 40 ahead of the third place Astros. In the power department, they stand just eight homers short of the MLB-leading Astros with 144.
In comparison, the 2014 Yankees hit just 147 home runs. New York has also boasted a .180 ISO, which compares favorably to the .135 mark of their 2014 club. Over a year, the team’s slugging percentage has risen from .380 to .440.
After scoring 90 runs in the past 10 games, the Yankees maintain a firm grasp on the number two spot in the runs department, and the top spot in the AL East. So what has been the difference on offense?
Let’s take a look at the changed names on the offense. The two names who didn’t appear in 2014’s lineup are Didi Gregorius and Alex Rodriguez. In the power department, Gregorious shows a slight improvement over Derek Jeter, with one more homer up to this point in the season.
Alex Rodriguez, on the other hand, has proven his worth with the Yankees in a big way, knocking 24 homers and 62 RBI while slashing .281/.388/.539 in 98 games.
Without a doubt, A-Rod has helped to lift the Yankees to an elite offense, but by no means has he brought the team’s ISO by .55 and SLG by .60.
So what has?
The answer lies within the returning players. Two in particular being Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann. The duo has posted 47 homers in 2015, eclipsing their mark of 45 last year. Teixeira’s ISO has increased from .182 in 2014 to .314 this year, while McCann’s has risen from .164 to .222. Teixeira’s slugging has improved from .398 to .582, with McCann upgrading from .406 to .477.
However, the Yankees have turned it up a notch, knocking 24 homers in the last 14 days. To put that in perspective, the Marlins, Athletics, and Brewers combined have hit just 15 home runs in the last two weeks.
The Yankees offense has been dominant these past couple weeks. In the last fourteen days, they lead all of baseball in home runs, runs, RBI, ISO, OBP, slugging, weighted runs created, weighted on-base, and WAR.
Clearly, this is an elite offense. If the bats can continue producing as the game’s top offense, they might just be the favorites in October.
(Photo: Andy Marlin-USA Today Sports)