Yankees Hot Corner – The Yankees have a RISP problem

The Yankees have a serious issue and it’s the reason why they haven’t been able to get over the hump over the past two seasons.  The postseason was disastrous for them last year;  A tough win in the AL Wild Card Game followed by a thumping at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS.  They may have made the “second round” but they looked completely lifeless because they were a one dimensional team.

The Yankees know how to score runs, but only if they hit a ton of home runs.  The 2018 Yankees hit the most home runs as a team in MLB history (267) , three more than the 1997 Mariners (264).  There’s a feeling that the 2019 Bombers plan to break that record once again.

It’s a lofty expectation to go after but it may not be the best route to go.  Sure all those home runs put butts in the seats and make the Yankees an exciting team, but it also makes them a boom or bust offense.  Even in the Yankees’ two wins so far, they got a three run boost from Luke Voit in the opener and two solo shots by Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner on Monday night.

As per Katie Sharp of River Ave. Blues, the Yankees rank 24th in RISP since 2013.  They’ve been one of the worst teams in moving runners over and if they’re going to make it anywhere this season they need to be better.  No more Giancarlo Stanton bases loaded strike outs.  No more Gary Sanchez GIDP.

The Yankees’ issue of not being able to put together rallies can be attributed to one thing;  Trying to hit the long ball.  When it works out it’s great but too many times we’ve seen these Yankees swing for the fences rather than go with the ball the other way.  Instead of starting rallies they kill them with their affinity for home runs.

The Yankees have a RISP problem and it starts and ends with trying to hit home runs all the time.  It’s Little League stuff that can easily be fixed.  As long as the Yankees start to change their approach at the plate, they can go a long way.  If not then they’ll have to rely on the long ball all season and most likely will be bounced from the playoffs by a clutch hitting team, like last season.