Yankees’ ‘Biggest Concern’ Could Impact Their Postseason Again

The New York Yankees are not a perfect team. Despite holding the American League’s second Wild Card spot, their flaws sometimes outshine their strengths.

The Yankees’ struggling bullpen was a hot topic as the trade deadline approached. Still, their defensive capabilities, or lack thereof, are a glaring issue that prevented last year’s team from winning the organization’s 28th World Series title.

New York ranks seventh in Major League Baseball and fourth in the AL with 75 errors. Seventeen of those errors are the responsibility of the glove or arm of shortstop Anthony Volpe, who won a Gold Glove Award just two seasons ago. Can the Yankees stabilize their defense before the postseason starts?

MLB Insider Says Yankees’ Defense Must Improve

Countless errors in last year’s World Series negatively affected the Yankees’ chance to win more than one game in the five-game championship round against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the World Series concluded, several players on the Dodgers’ roster stated in interviews that the game plan against their competitor was simple: put the ball in play.

To improve their defense, the Yankees struck a trade with the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Cody Bellinger and signed free agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. At this year’s trade deadline, they acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, who plays Gold Glove-caliber defense at the hot corner.

Still, a few players continue to hold the Yankees back on both the dirt and grass. Some of the errors the AL East club makes leave you scratching your head.

“However, their lack of defensive stability has been a huge concern, starting with shortstop Anthony Volpe, who has struggled with his glove, arm, and decision-making in the field, including throwing to the wrong base or not setting his feet before throwing,” The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote on August 27. “The 2023 Gold Glove winner just hasn’t seemed to get it right mentally or physically.”

Volpe is not the only player on the Yankees showing signs of regression with a glove in hand.

“Meanwhile, left fielder Jasson Domínguez has occasionally thrown to the wrong base, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. at times won’t make a play he’s capable of making, and last week, catcher Austin Wells didn’t catch a routine pop-up by Alex Bregman of the Red Sox,” wrote Bowden.

Can New York’s Offense Overshadow Their Defense?

The Yankees rank first in MLB with 220 home runs and are tied for second in runs with the Milwaukee Brewers with 682.

Most Valuable Player Award candidate Aaron Judge is one of, if not the best, hitters in the sport, and Giancarlo Stanton is blistering hot at the plate while filling in part-time in right field for Judge, who is recovering from a flexor strain in his throwing elbow.

“They have the talent to clean up their game and play their best baseball down the stretch, but the defensive miscues are a serious issue that has hamstrung this team,” Bowden wrote.

It’s abundantly clear that the Yankees can score runs with the best of them, but will it matter if their defense continues to gift opposing teams extra outs?