It seems to be the hot question to ask this morning. Just for a quick rundown of all who are asking:
SBR Forum
The Star Ledger
Bleacher Report
Newsday
There’s plenty more, of course. And it’s a legitimate question to ask at this point, with just 27 percent of the season left and the Yankees four games out of the Wild Card. Add in the injuries and the uninspiring play of late, and you have a recipe for collapse.
Thankfully, the Yankees have a chance to right the ship. They’ve played Minnesota well over the past few years, going 13-7 against them since the beginning of the 2006 season, including a 5-2 mark this year. They follow that up with a series against the last place Royals, another day off, and then a road trip to Toronto and Baltimore. If there was ever a chance to run off a 10-2 rally, this is it. Because behind the door of Baltimore lie the Red Sox.
If they play well enough over the next 12 games, they’ll have a chance to close the gap during that series. If they sputter as they have lately, well, then the series could be the Yanks last chance to make a playoff stand. Clearly, the next 15 games are going to play a large role in determining this season. It might seem bleak now, but we know the Yanks have the capacity to sock a few dingers and go on a run.
Plus, if they’re able to go on a tear now, by the time they reach Boston we might be seeing the returns of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. Clearly, as we learned earlier this year, the Yanks cannot rely on these youngsters to carry them to the playoffs. However, they do represent clear upgrades over our rotation options right now. While it appears we won’t be seeing much of Chien Ming Wang for the rest of the year, a rotation of Mussina, Pettitte, Joba, Hughes, and Ponson/Giese (I’d choose the latter based on my bias against Ponson) might be able to get it done in the final month and change.
It’s easy to count the Yanks out right now, at the gloomiest part of the season. But there’s still enough baseball ahead to keep me interested.
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