didiflip

Weekly Edition: New York Yankees Facts

One of the main reasons I love baseball is because it is an analytically-driven sport. I love crunching the numbers and using them in arguments to silence the other person. I just cannot get enough of the numbers. To get the addiction out of my system, I thought I might as well write a weekly article which will include five fun – but not necessarily all positive – facts about the Yankees’ past week.

1. Perhaps a 5-5 Start Isn’t *That* Bad

Panic has already set in among New York Yankee fans. Through the team’s first ten games, the Yankees are a .500 team. Don’t panic. Yes, it would be ideal if the Yankees got off to a better start but it is not the end of the world. In fact, the last time the Yankees won the World Series (2009) they also started 5-5. The Yankees finished that season 103-59. Does that mean anything for the 2018 Yankees? Probably not, but it also shows that it is not the time to panic. At least not yet.

2. Didi Gregorius is a Walking Machine

Didi Gregorius is off to a red-hot start at the plate slashing .375/.524/.906 with three home runs and 10 RBI through his first 10 games. Those numbers a pretty impressive in themselves. However, perhaps the most impressive statistic on the back of Gregorius’ baseball card so far this season is the line that reads nine walks. That’s nearly one walk per game. To put this into perspective, Gregorius walked a total of 25 times last season. In fact, he never walked more than seven times in a single month in 2017. Here are his monthly walk totals last season:

May: 5
June: 1
July: 7
August: 6
September: 6

He has already walked NINE times and there are still three weeks left in April. Gregorius continues to develop at the plate and this is just another example of how he has improved as a hitter.

3. The New York Yankees Tough Loss

The Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 in extra innings on Sunday. The Yankees pitching failed their offense that managed to record 16 hits and seven runs. How rare is it that the Yankees lost a home game where they put up those type of offensive numbers? It’s the first time the Yankees have lost at home in a game where they scored seven or more runs and recorded 16 or more hits since they lost to the Seattle Mariners 15-11 on May 4, 2007. It’s only the third time it has happened in the past 21 seasons. Sunday was a loss the Yankees will definitely want to forget.

4. Where’s The Defense?

There is a multitude of reasons that the Yankees have started the season 5-5. However, the team’s defense might be the best explanation for their relatively sluggish start. The Yankees lead the American League with 10 team errors. Brandon Drury leads the way with three early errors. The team will certainly have to sure up their defense if they want to be competitive in 2018.

5. Giancarlo Stanton on the Wrong Side of History

Giancarlo Stanton has had a rough start to his Yankee tenure. In a span of five days, Stanton had two five strikeout games where he did not record a hit. It’s the first time in MLB History that a player has had multiple five strikeout games with zero hits in a single season. Stanton did it twice in the same week! Don’t freak out Yankee fans. In 2012, Bryce Harper went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts against who else but the Yankees. It’s certainly not an ideal outcome for Stanton, but he has been an extremely streaky hitter throughout his career. He’ll heat up with the weather.

Related Articles

Leave a comment

Use your Baseball Prospectus username