The New York Yankees completed another disappointing season for their lofty standards.
They started off the year with a stellar 64-28 first half, but injuries, slumps, and unexpected situations started to present themselves and the organization wasn’t the same in the second half and the playoffs.
They could barely win their Division Series matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, and were swept by the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series.
Many fans and analysts cite the Yanks’ injuries, but the fact remains they weren’t able to overcome them because their organizational depth is not nearly as good as the Astros’.
MLB analyst Mike Lupica certainly thinks that way.
“The Astros lost a manager, a general manager, Springer, Correa, Cole. And just swept the Yankees, with Altuve and Alvarez doing hardly any damage. The Astros aren’t just deeper and more talented. They have a far better organization than the Yankees do,” Lupica said.
The Astros lost a manager, a general manager, Springer, Correa, Cole. And just swept the Yankees, with Altuve and Alvarez doing hardly any damage. The Astros aren't just deeper and more talented. They have a far better organization than the Yankees do.
— Mike Lupica (@MikeLupica) October 24, 2022
The Astros Have Been Pushing The Right Buttons For More Than A Decade
He is right: the Astros have been doing things the right way for a long time, and the results started to show in the mid-2010s and are still there to see.
They have top-notch talent identification tools and system, excellent player development skills, and aren’t afraid to spend when they need to.
In other words, they are the Los Angeles Dodgers of the American League, only with more recent playoff success.
The Yankees have had success their own way: they have had a winning record since 1993, and that’s impressive.
However, they need to take it up a notch and invest in certain areas other than free agents and salaries to really compete with the Astros.
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