The New York Yankees last missed the postseason in 2016, a year they used to sell a couple of pieces and retool for the future.
Then, they were excellent from 2017 to 2021, although they couldn’t secure a World Series berth.
Starting from the second half of 2022, they have been playing middling baseball and are closer to mediocrity than to excellence.
In fact, the numbers show they have been what people on Twitter call “mid” for some time now.
“The Yankees have scored 485 runs this season. They have given up 485 runs this season. They are 50-50 in their last 100 games and 99-101 in their last 200 games,” The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner tweeted.
The Yankees have scored 485 runs this season. They have given up 485 runs this season.
They are 50-50 in their last 100 games and 99-101 in their last 200 games.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) August 8, 2023
That’s a 0 run differential for those keeping score, and a .500 record in their last 100 games.
They are actually a hair below .500 in their last 200.
Perhaps the 2023 trade deadline presented a golden chance for the Yankees to sell some assets and retool for 2024: the repeat of the 2016 situation.
Instead of selling, the Yankees did the worst they could do: stand pat.
They only added a middle reliever and failed to address left field, third base, and the rotation, hoping for a rebound by some key players.
The results of that decision could be suboptimal: the team is not good enough to overcome a 5.5-game deficit (and three teams) to claim the last Wild Card spot, and there are too many bad contracts and not enough talent in the minor leagues for a rebuild.
The Yanks, therefore, are in a dangerous long-term position and aren’t looking likely to compete this year or next.
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