The Yankees are heading into a brutal stretch with a lineup that has too many soft spots and not enough answers, and the schedule is about to test every one of them. They entered Sunday with the fewest wins against winning teams in baseball at 15-16, and their first 22 games after the break come against winning clubs. That run also includes six games against Seattle and Toronto, both 2025 playoff teams.
Aaron Judge is still out, and the timeline remains murky. He has missed almost two months because of a fractured rib and still has not been cleared to start baseball activities. The Yankees still expect him back before the regular season ends, but the ramp-up to get him postseason-ready now looks like it could be short.
Even with Judge, though, this group has a clear weakness against left-handed pitching. Without him, it becomes even easier to attack. The Dodgers showed exactly how on Friday, when they used three straight left-handed relievers to finish off a 2-1 win, getting 10 outs while giving up just one hit.
That is why a right-handed hitting catcher should be near the top of New York’s trade deadline wish list. Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers would fit cleanly, but the Twins have turned into a surprise playoff team and now lead the AL in runs per game.
Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson could be available, though he is hitting .192 against left-handers and is a below average bat. Colorado’s Hunter Goodman, who has hit 18 of his 27 homers away from Denver, would come at an enormous price if he were even available.
Washington’s Keibert Ruiz, who is hitting .307 against lefties, might be the most logical target.
The bigger problem behind the plate is that Austin Wells has fallen off in a way that is hard to explain. He cannot handle breaking pitches, hitting .093 against them, and he is batting .198 over the past two seasons.
The Yankees’ catchers as a group are hitting .175, which is a franchise worst in the live ball era. And while that sounds uniquely ugly, the position has been rough across the league too. This season, three teams are getting below a .180 batting average from their catchers, matching the total from the previous 105 years.
Kyle Tucker is supposed to be the Dodgers’ big-ticket answer, but so far the fit has been jarring. Including the luxury tax penalty, Los Angeles is paying him $119.7 million this season, a figure that tops the Opening Day payrolls of 11 teams. Ninety-two games into his four-year, $240 million contract, the 29-year-old has been a major disappointment.
The bat has not carried the deal. Tucker has posted career full-season lows in bat speed at 71.3, exit velocity at 88.8, hard-hit percentage at 39%, rollover groundballs at 22.4%, barrel rate at 5.8%, two-strike hitting at .165 and runners in scoring position at .247. His frustration has shown at times, though manager Dave Roberts believes there may be signs of life.
“The quality of his at-bats the past two weeks has been the best it’s been all year,” Roberts says. “There have been times when he’ll go into the cage after games and work with the hitting guys.”
The concern goes beyond the bat. Tucker’s defense and baserunning have also slipped.
His fielding run value has gone from 0 last year, when he ranked in the 52nd percentile, to -3 this year, which puts him in the 22nd percentile, and his range has noticeably declined. His baserunning value and sprint speed have been trending down as well, and he has not attempted a stolen base in more than a month.
The Dodgers paid a premium in average annual value to land Tucker on a short-term deal meant to capture his prime without paying for the decline years. Right now, that is not the player they thought they were getting.
In Other News...
Yankees Shortstop Drama Just Took A Frustrating New Turn
The Yankees shortstop situation keeps circling back to the same uncomfortable theme: they still do not have a clean answer, and the debate has drifted well beyond simple production. Jos Caballeros arrival has added a different kind of energy to the conversation, while Anthony Volpes uneven play has only sharpened the scrutiny on a position that should bring stability, not more questions.
What makes it more frustrating from the Yankees side is how much the issue has become about tone and accountability as much as talent. Under Aaron Boone, the club has too often looked willing to absorb sloppy fundamentals and mental mistakes without enough correction, and that leaves the shortstop discussion feeling less like a competition for a job and more like another reminder that the Yankees are still searching for a consistent, winning answer. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Linked To A Young Shortstop Fans Will Debate Fast
The Yankees are once again being mentioned in the kind of trade chatter that tends to follow a contending club with a clear need and a front office willing to explore the market. ESPNs Jeff Passan has pointed to a young shortstop as the sort of player who could draw real interest from teams looking to upgrade up the middle, and New York is among the clubs viewed as a natural fit. The appeal is obvious: a player who has already shown he can help at the plate and on the bases, while still carrying the age and control window that make him more than a short-term rental.
What makes this conversation more interesting is the balance between upside and fit. Over the past three seasons, the shortstop in question has put together a productive offensive profile and added value with his legs, but evaluators have also had to weigh concerns about his range at a premium defensive spot. For the Yankees, that is the kind of trade-off that can spark a debate quickly, especially if the asking price climbs and the market starts to narrow around a few contenders. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Be Sending A Quiet Message About Anthony Volpe
Anthony Volpes place in the Yankees infield picture has looked a little less secure lately, and the timing only adds to the sense that the club is weighing bigger decisions ahead of the trade deadline. With shortstop and outfield help both on the radar, the Yankees are clearly keeping their options open as they try to sharpen the roster for the stretch run.
George Lombard Jr. is part of that conversation, too, which is why this feels like more than a simple midseason shuffle. The organizations willingness to think about the position now suggests Volpes role is being viewed through a different lens than it was earlier in the year, and the next move at shortstop could say plenty about how the Yankees see their present and their future. [Read more 🡒]