​The Yankees’ most glaring issue during their latest summer swoon has unquestionably been their lineup. They just set a franchise record for the most strikeouts in two games, and over the past few weeks their overall production has ranked among the worst in the league. The why is obvious: three of their best hitters spent portions of that stretch on the injured list (Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Trent Grisham), while their other three most productive hitters (Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt) collapsed into significant slumps at the same time. No team can survive the simultaneous absence or regression of six of its most valuable hitters. Yet the Yankees’ much-hyped rotation was expected to at least keep them competitive during downturns in the offense. Instead, the pitching staff has been inconsistent and, while not as catastrophic as the offense, still a concern, contributing to their fall from first place in the AL East.
Among pitchers who have slipped after strong starts, which concerns you most? Will Warren stands out. After another rough outing against the Rays this week, his ERA has climbed from a low of 2.39 in early May to 4.15. He’s yielded five or more runs four times in this span, often posting solid strikeout-to-walk ratios yet getting hit hard in the process. After such a promising start to the season, his overall numbers sit around the league average.
Then there’s Ryan Weathers, who has followed a similar arc from early-season breakout to midseason questions. Weathers has also shown a propensity for blow-ups, mixing moments of brilliance (eight strikeouts, one run, three hits in 6.1 innings against the White Sox on June 18) with disasters that leave the team little chance to win (five runs in 1.2 innings against the Tigers two starts later). Once again, a pitcher who looked great at the outset has settled into an average fold midway through the year.
Warren and Weathers are the most notable concerns here, but there are broader questions about the entire rotation. Gerrit Cole has battled a touch of “gopher-itis” in his return from elbow surgery, and while Carlos Rodón has been mostly effective when healthy this season, he was walking a lot before landing on the IL with his own arm issue. Max Fried is progressing in his recovery from an elbow injury and can be an ace when healthy, though any sign of arm trouble remains a concern.
The trio of Cole, Fried, and Rodón doesn’t raise alarm when they’re healthy, but the fact that all three are working back from injuries is worrisome from a rotation-wide perspective. Add the struggles of Warren and Weathers, and a once-dominant rotation has grown noticeably more fragile. Who has your most pressing concern?
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