Rizzo’s message, the state of Yankees’ locker room hint at awful morale

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ANAHEIM, Calif. – The 5-1 defeat against the Angels pushed the Yankees to a new low. With the team losing series after series in July and hitting their lowest ebb since 1990, their morale is awful. The state of the locker room and Anthony Rizzo’s statement only corroborated it.

The loss on Tuesday night marked the Yankees’ third consecutive defeat and fifth in the last six games. First baseman Anthony Rizzo, , who is viewed as one of the leaders in the clubhouse, commented that the mood among the team was down. He shared that each Yankees player, both individually and as a collective, held higher expectations and knew that the ongoing situation was disappointing.

“The mood’s down, for sure,” he told to YES Network. “It’s hard to have fun when you’re getting your teeth kicked in.”

Rizzo acknowledged that feeling down is acceptable at this point and conveyed that the Yankees were close-knit, supporting each other through this challenging period. He recognized it as a low point in their journey but emphasized that facing such difficulties is a part of the game.

“I think we all expect — we definitely all expect — better of ourselves, individually and as a team. And it’s OK to be down right now. It’s a close group. This is a low point. We’ve been battling, but this is part of it.”

The somber state of affairs in Yankees’ locker room

Aaron Judge, unable to partake in baseball activities due to his injured toe, changed into casual attire and briefly rested on a folding chair in front of his locker. More than four hours had passed since the game ended, adding to the somber atmosphere in the subdued New York Yankees clubhouse. Teammates struggled to publicly articulate the ongoing challenge of winning games in the absence of their best player.

As the second half commenced, the Yankees faced a tough start by losing two out of three games to the Colorado Rockies, a team projected to record its first 100-loss season in franchise history. Subsequently, they traveled from Denver to Orange County, California, to take on the Los Angeles Angels, who had struggled recently, dropping 11 of their last 13 games, and the Yankees experienced consecutive losses against them. On Sunday, they were unable to score against Chase Anderson, despite his high 6.89 ERA. In the following matches, they managed to score only three runs over a combined 13 innings against Griffin Canning and Patrick Sandoval, both members of an Angels rotation that had been facing significant challenges throughout July.

Ever since Judge sustained a sprained right big toe while colliding with the concrete portion of the right-field fence at Dodger Stadium on June 3, the Yankees’ offensive performance has notably declined. Their OPS, measuring the team’s on-base plus slugging percentage, ranks third-lowest across all major league teams (.658), and they have averaged the third-fewest runs per game (3.78). On a Monday night, they faced back-to-back walk-off losses in extra innings for the first time in 22 years, striking out 17 times and going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The following day, their offensive struggles persisted as they managed just one hit during the initial seven innings of the game.

Before Judge’s injury, the Yankees maintained a solid 10-game lead above a .500 winning percentage. However, following his absence, their performance declined, and they have recorded a 15-21 record since then.

Boone bragged about potential recovery

Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that they had the ability to address the challenges they are facing. According to him, the Yankees possess players with a proven track record who can make a difference. Boone acknowledged that the prevailing narrative revolved around their struggles this year, which was understandable given the absence of the game’s best player, Judge. However, he believed that the team was still capable of turning things around. Boone acknowledged that it might sound repetitive, but the bottom line was that they had to rediscover their form and improve their performance.

With a record of 50-46, the Yankees currently maintain a stronger record than all teams in the American League Central. However, they find themselves in last place within their own division, the AL East, which is a position they have not been in this far into a season since 1990, a year that concluded with a total of 95 losses.

Rizzo, Stanton, LeMahieu, and Donaldson (who is currently sidelined with a substantial calf strain) hold a total of 14 All-Star appearances. However, their performance this season has been lackluster, with a combined slash line of .220/.298/.394, resulting in a .692 OPS that falls 39 points below the league average. When questioned about whether the team should accept that this is their current state, Boone showed skepticism and dismissed the idea, indicating that they are not willing to settle for such subpar performance.

He firmly responded, “No,” when asked about the possibility of quitting. Boone emphasized that there is no room for giving up; instead, they must persevere and continue fighting. He acknowledged that the team comprises talented players who are currently enduring a challenging phase, possibly one of the toughest periods in their careers. However, Boone stressed that they are not backing down or walking away from the challenge. Instead, they are fully committed to putting in the effort and determination to overcome these struggles. Boone asserted that everyone is working diligently, staying focused, and engaging in open communication to address the team’s situation.

In July, the Yankees have suffered defeats in four series, including matchups against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, both teams from the National League Central that are expected to make trades involving veteran players before the August 1 trade deadline. Despite recently appointing Sean Casey as their new hitting coach, the Yankees see themselves as buyers leading up to the deadline. However, their performance doesn’t give the impression that they are just one or two acquisitions away from being strong contenders for a championship.

The Yankees are relying on the near return of Judge, who has been participating in batting practice and light defensive drills before games. Additionally, they anticipate the upcoming comebacks of starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga.

However, the current players must find a way to resolve the situation independently. Rizzo acknowledged that this is all part of the journey, with the team trailing nine games behind the first-place position but remaining only 2 1/2 games away from the final wild-card spot. He stated that this is the narrative of the 2023 season, and they must face the circumstances they have been given and continue to play.

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