The New York Yankees offense was abysmal in the postseason.
All things considered, they were not a good team in October, with a 3-6 record between the Cleveland Guardians and the Houston Astros series.
Their offense, however, was incapable of stringing together two hits in a row.
In fact, they had a terrible .579 OPS in the postseason, with a putrid .173 batting average.
“The Yankees batted .173 this postseason in 9 games. It’s the lowest batting average for any American League team in history playing at least 6 postseason games in a given season,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
The Yankees batted .173 this postseason in 9 games.
It's the lowest batting average for any American League team in history playing at least 6 postseason games in a given season.
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) October 24, 2022
It’s hard to pretend to top a team like the Astros while hitting .173.
They slashed .173/.255/.324 in the playoffs, albeit they did hit 12 home runs.
That is actually a reflection of the Yankees lineup: somewhat one-dimensional with a focus on power but with dangerously low contact skills.
The Yankees Couldn’t Handle Postseason Pitching
The postseason boasts the best pitching in the world, and this situation exposed the Yankees’ deficiencies as a team.
They can hit a home run here or there (more than that, really), but they have a severe strikeout problem that can’t be chalked up to a single player.
It’s something the front office will need to improve during the offseason: fans are extremely mad after yet another October disappointment, but the reality is that the Yankees are too far behind the Astros in all facets of running a baseball club.
That may not be the most serious reality they need to face: the rest of the American League is catching up quickly, too.
The Guardians took the Yanks to five games in the ALDS and the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays, not to mention the Tampa Bay Rays, are right there, too.
Additionally, we can finally say it: here come the Baltimore Orioles.
Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Aaron Hicks, and even Gleyber Torres may see their starting roles in danger next season.
NEXT: NYC Newspaper Shares A Championship Plan For The Yankees