The New York Yankees are surging and are now in sole possession of the first Wild Card spot before Thursday’s games.
However, that doesn’t mean they didn’t endure their struggles and rough patches over the course of the campaign.
There was a point in June that some fans left them for dead.
These three players are among the most disappointing performers on the 2021 Bombers.
3. Clint Frazier
After hitting .267/.394/.511 with eight homers in 39 games last season, the Yankees expected big things from Clint Frazier in 2021.
A lousy fielder for most of his career, he was also a Gold Glove candidate last season.
The high expectations and some health issues derailed Frazier’s 2021 season, making him one of the most disappointing performers on the Yankees.
Right now, he is out with vertigo and dizziness, and his status for the rest of the year is unclear.
In 66 games so far in 2021, Frazier has slumped all the way to a .186/.317/.317 line and a .634 OPS.
That OPS is significantly below the .905 mark he had in the pandemic year.
His defense has also reverted back to below-average, and one has to assume his health issues had some kind of impact on his offensive and defensive performance.
For now, his focus should be his health.
2. Aroldis Chapman
Before the crackdown of foreign substances, Aroldis Chapman was one of the most dominant closers in the game.
He finished the month of April with an immaculate 0.00 ERA.
However, after the crackdown, his performance began to slip and his fastball command disappeared (it should be noted that some pitchers used sticky stuff for better grip, not necessarily to gain more spin rate).
He was supposed to be the Yankees’ closer, their most dependable relief arm, and the leader of the bullpen.
Instead, he is a lottery ticket every time he steps on the mound.
Some days he has his fastball command and his splitter is working wonders, while others, he can’t find the plate.
Chapman can’t command his fastball. Why are we letting him face Devers?
— #BLM Giancarlo (@BLM_Stanton) August 19, 2021
His full season numbers do not reflect dominance whatsoever: a 3.79 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP aren’t elite marks by any means.
He recently dealt with an injury, too, just when he started to turn things around somewhat.
Maybe he will go back to his elite version in the last weeks of the season, but Chapman has been among the most disappointing Yankees considering the huge expectations.
1. Gleyber Torres
The Yankees’ starting shortstop has certainly had to fight his way through lots of injuries.
He endured a stint on the COVID-19 list, and he is currently out with a thumb ailment.
But he has had more than enough playing time this season, 359 at-bats to be exact, to shine, and has done the exact opposite.
Gleyber Torres‘ power disappeared, as he has only six homers this year and a putrid .351 slugging percentage.
I don’t know how this is possible but Ronald Torreyes has the same home runs as Gleyber Torres on the year.
Number one priority for the Yankees this offseason should be to fix Gleyber’s swing and get his power back.
— Yankeesource (@YankeeSource) August 14, 2021
That is the slugging percentage of a glove-first utility infielder.
As we all know, Torres’ strongest suit is not precisely defense.
Overall, he is slashing .253/.328/.351.
At least he has contributed 12 stolen bases, but the Yankees are wondering where his power went.
After all, he hit 38 home runs as recently as 2019.
Torres has been, without a doubt, the single most disappointing member of the Yankees roster in 2021.
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