Summer Season is Baseball Season is Yankee Season
Written By - Jay Looch
July 11th, 2022
Early July, a weird time for sports fans. Basketball, football, and hockey are all out on PTO. ESPN is basically unwatchable at this point of the year. Shows like First Take and Get Up scramble to fill the awkward silence for the next few months. Arguments like “Jordan or Lebron” surface at 10:30 AM on a July Tuesday morning, and that's when you toss the remote and wave the white flag. Do not let ESPN question your sports love.
Dig deep and open your eyes. We are in mid-season baseball form and if you ask me, there's not a better time to be alive. Now close your eyes and take a trip with me. It’s a Saturday afternoon and you just made plans with the boys. 1 PM and the birds are chirping. You just cracked your first beer with the crew in the backyard and are about to wager $20 on the next cornhole game. Things can’t get any better right? Wrong! You get the outdoor tv going and you realize there are about 10 plus baseball games across America that are about to begin.
It's July people, this is where playoff runs begin and legends come to the forefront. This weekend was packed with action. The greatest rivalry in sports took place over in Boston, as the New York Spank-ees took on the Red Sox in a 4 game classic. Going into the series the Yankees had a 14 game lead over the Sox in the AL East. No, this is not a typo...Yes, a 14 game lead. Not shy of runs and action, the Yankees took the first 2 games. The Sox battled back in the next two, splitting the series. Good for them! They made absolutely zero ground in chasing the Bronx boys when they had the chance.
The Yankees are in fact Yankee-ing this year like we are in the 90’s. An historic first-half of the season for the Bombers, really has fans buzzing for the second half. It makes you wonder what moves they can possibly make that can better themselves and put them in a position to keep driving the distance between them and the rest of the pack. Is there any move even out there at the deadline that could better them? One has to say yes. When it comes to playoffs, pitching plays a huge role in a deep October run. The Yankees have a top 3 ERA in the league and that doesn't seem to be an issue.
With that being said, there can always be room for improvement or someone to fall back on if needed. One guy's name that keeps popping up is Luis Castillo of the Reds. The Reds are dog trash and you have to assume they will be sellers come August. Castillo is probably going to be the biggest target for a lot of teams as he could well help a couple squads make that final push for the postseason. He has an earned run average in the 3’s on one of the worst teams in ball...Go get him. Another need that seems to be on the frontline of Yankees fans minds is an outfielder.
As this really pains me to say, the Joey Gallo experience seems like it might be coming to an end. I’ve always been a Joey guy, even before his Bronx days. A guy who hits 40+ home runs, gets on base a ton, and is a Gold Glover with a cannon of an arm? This guy was a dream to have in a Yankees uniform with the short porch in right field. But Yankee fans are done with him sadly. Completely done. The .140 batting average and ungodly amount of strikeouts is something that is hard to look past. So who can they target? Well first off, Aaron Hicks had one hell of a June/early July, so this is definitely something to monitor.
However, if they do look to outsource their work, they could look at 2 guys in my opinion who are absolute ballers. Andrew Benintendi of the Royals is on a tear this season, batting over .300. With the Royals young and struggling, they could look to make moves this August. Another guy who jumps off the page even more than Benintendi, is Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs. He is more of a utility guy who can play wherever you need him too. Primarily an outfielder, he can definitely fill the void. Not to mention his bat has been nothing short of great.
Overall, the Yankees are playing out of their minds. Everything is clicking and stepping up when needed. They can beat you in every way possible. Great pitching, defense, moving runners over, and power. Something really special is going on in the Bronx. They are giving us just yet another reason to drink, laugh, and smile. All while taking our minds off of corporate America.
How could you not love that! Do you think the Yankees make a move at the deadline?