The New York Yankees, sitting at 58-40 at the All-Star break, have faced a turbulent season. After a strong start of 49-21, they faltered, losing 19 of their last 28 games and suffering from a significant offensive slump.
Their struggles, amplified by the media, have drawn criticism. Nestor Cortes addressed this negativity on social media, stating:
“Everyone talks down about the yanks but they wanna be us. It’s a privilege to wear pinstripes. Every year we are in contention. I’m blessed to be able to compete for a playoff spot and always be contenders at the end.”
Despite their recent struggles, the Yankees’ offense, which ranked in the top 10 in runs scored for April, May, and June, has fallen to 19th place in July. The team’s pitching, once formidable with a league-best ERA of 2.37 in May, has also declined, posting a 5.27 ERA in June and a 3.63 ERA halfway through July. They have experienced ten blowout losses this season, with six occurring after June 12.
The Yankees, however, remain competitive, trailing only one game behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East and holding the third-best record in the American League. Cortes, in his second stint with the Yankees, has seen the team make the postseason every year since his return, except in 2023.
General Manager Brian Cashman acknowledged the team’s struggles and hinted at possible changes before the trade deadline.
“We definitely have areas to improve upon and we’ll do our best to do so,” he said. Despite last year’s mid-season slump and subsequent postseason disappointment, Cashman remains optimistic. “Thankfully, we got out of the gates really strong, so hopefully that cushion will allow us to work through this.”
The Yankees are looking to rebound from their current slump and make a strong push for the postseason, determined to prove their critics wrong.
