The New York Yankees remain near the top of the American League, but one stat has made their offensive issues impossible to ignore.
New York came into Thursday at 41-26, sitting second in the AL East by percentage points behind the Rays while riding a four-game winning streak.
But that record hides a real problem. The Yankees have received almost nothing from one of the most important spots in the lineup.
Yankees keep getting exposed by catcher zero
A Codify Baseball post showed how many times each team’s catchers had reached base so far this month, and the Yankees were alone at the bottom with zero.
Colorado led MLB with 14. Detroit, Milwaukee, and the Dodgers had 13. Arizona, San Francisco, and Baltimore had 12, while Washington, Toronto, and Minnesota had 11.
Seattle, Texas, Tampa Bay, the Angels, Athletics, Marlins, and Reds all had 10. Even Atlanta had two. The Yankees had none.
Yankees’ offense is carrying a thin roster
The timing makes the stat more alarming. Aaron Judge is out with a rib stress fracture, Giancarlo Stanton is still working back from a calf strain, and Jasson Domínguez is rehabbing a shoulder injury.
Austin Wells also landed on the injured list with cervical headaches after slashing .166/.278/.255 with four home runs and seven RBI through 47 games.
That forced another catching shuffle. J.C. Escarra was recalled after being optioned, while Ali Sánchez was promoted to give the Yankees a right-handed look behind the plate.
Yankees’ offense needs answers for its catching issues fast
The broader numbers explain the frustration. Entering last weekend, Yankees catchers ranked 28th in MLB in OPS, 29th in batting average, 25th in OBP, and 28th in slugging.
That has materially hurt them by turning the bottom of the order into a rally killer, especially in a lineup already missing Judge’s middle-order presence.
Wells needs to reset once healthy, Escarra needs to show he can reach base, and Sánchez has a short window to prove he can provide competent at-bats. Ben Rice is the obvious offensive answer, but the Yankees have been reluctant to put his bat through the physical demands of catching.
Until someone changes the picture, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Jazz Chisholm, Spencer Jones, and eventually Domínguez will have to cover for a position that has given the Yankees too many empty trips.
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