The New York Yankees‘ season, which began with such promise, has taken a significant downturn. Richard Schenck, Aaron Judge’s personal hitting coach, did not hold back his criticism of the team’s player development when discussing the Yankees’ struggles on YES Network.
His comments were sparked by the Yankees’ recent poor performance, despite having Judge, one of the most dominant hitters in baseball.
“They’ve lost 13 out of 18 while he’s hitting like an MVP. The Yankees offensive player development is terrible.”
Aaron Judge’s struggles were evident on Thursday as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. By the ninth inning, the Reds led 8-4 and were poised to complete their first three-game sweep of the Yankees this season.
What’s happening
The situation worsened when Reds third baseman hit a line drive to center field, where Trent Grisham nonchalantly attempted to field it. The ball bounced, and Grisham’s casual approach resulted in a bobble, allowing the runner, who was rounding first base, to advance to second for a double. The Yankees’ fans quickly voiced their displeasure with Grisham’s lack of effort.
While this misplay was not the most critical of Grisham’s career, it did nothing to improve the Yankees’ dire situation. The error did not lead to further damage in that inning, as Spencer Steer struck out, ending the top of the ninth. However, the Yankees’ offense failed to mount a comeback in the bottom half, sealing the sweep for the Reds.
The broader concern for the Yankees was the performance of their starting pitcher, Marcus Stroman, who surrendered three home runs and five earned runs over five innings. This added to the mounting woes of a team that seemed unbeatable early in the season.
Grisham’s error was symptomatic of a larger malaise affecting the Yankees. The team has now lost 13 of their last 17 games, a stretch that has seen them fall from leading the AL East by 2.5 games to trailing the Baltimore Orioles by 2.0 games. Six of these losses were by margins of six runs or more.
Up next
The Yankees now face the daunting task of turning their season around. Their next opportunity comes with a home series against the Boston Red Sox starting Friday. Beyond that, a crucial road trip against the Orioles looms large before the All-Star break. This stretch will be critical for a team desperately needing to rediscover its early-season form and halt its precipitous slide.
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