New York Yankees fans are spoiled.
I don’t mean that in a bad way. When your team has won 27 world championships and are often the epitome of excellence in North American sports, high expectations are understandably present entering each and every season.
Hence the sky-high hopes that came with the team this year after acquiring reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton to join reigning AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, one of the best catchers in baseball.
They were supposed to an offensive firestorm to support decent starting pitching, but an even better bullpen which thrived last season.
Two weeks into the season and things have not clicked yet. In fact, it’s been something close to a disaster.
Stanton is striking out at an alarming rate, racking up 22 in his first 46 at-bats entering Wednesday night while Sanchez has struggled mightily with just two hits in his first 36 at-bats.
New York’s offense has been carried by Judge and Didi Gregorius, who is flirting with .400 during these early portions of the season.
On the hill, the bullpen has been a wreck, allowing 26 earned runs in 43 innings of work. Two of the pen’s biggest contributors, Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson, have allowed nine earned runs in 13 innings alone.
It has the Yankees toeing the .500 line early on as fans angrily look for answers. Their aggravation is understandable. Games in April that aren’t necessarily taken for granted could come back to haunt a team down the stretch, especially when the Yankees are set to battle the Boston Red Sox in a hotly contested AL East division.
That being said, it isn’t time to panic just yet. Early slumps are nothing new for contending teams, especially with such a history as the Yankees. All the team needs to do is hit a bit of a hot streak and floodgates could open for one of the most feared sides in baseball.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at some past winning Yankees teams before calling for Aaron Boone’s job:
2009 Yankees
First 32 games: 15-17
Next 32 games: 21-10
Ended: 103-59 (Won AL East)
Result: Won World Series (Defeated Philadelphia in 6 Games)
1996 Yankees
First 13 games: 6-7
Next 13 games: 10-3
Ended: 92-70 (Won AL East)
Result: Won World Series (Defeated Atlanta in 6 Games)
1978 Yankees
First 14 games: 6-8
Next 14 games: 11-3
Ended: 100-63 (Won AL East)
Result: Won World Series (Defeated LA Dodgers in 6 Games)
1977 Yankees
First 10 games: 2-8
Next 10 games: 9-1
Ended: 100-62 (Won AL East)
Result: Won World Series (Defeated LA Dodgers in 6 Games)
1962 Yankees
First 10 games: 5-5
Next 10 games: 8-2
Ended: 96-66 (Won AL East)
Result: Won World Series (Defeated San Francisco in 7 Games)
1952 Yankees
First 19 games: 8-11
Next 19 games: 13-6
Ended: 95-59 (Won American League)
Result: Won World Series (Defeated Brooklyn in 7 Games)
1938 Yankees
First 11 games: 5-6
Next 11 games: 9-2
Ended: 99-53 (Won American League)
Result: Won World Series (Defeated Chicago Cubs in 4 Games)
