The New York Yankees have hit the quarter-pole of the major league baseball season, 40 games in. There has been some good baseball, some bad baseball and some ugly controversy thus far in the 2011 season. At first blush, it's hard to tell how to feel about the 21-19 Yankees at this point.
Maybe the best way to describe what we have seen thus far is "un-Yankeelike." Both on the field, where the Yankees have been disappointing for the past few weeks, and in the clubhouse, where there seems to be obvious discord between management and core veterans like Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter, 2011 has not measured up to Yankee expectations.
It always comes back to one central question for the Yankees -- can they win the World Series? Off what they have shown thus far you would think the answer is no. Of course, things can change over the next 120 games, and so can the personnel on the roster.
Let's review the first 40 games, 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style.
Offense
Kudos
Curtis Granderson -- Yep, the Grandy Man is the only Yankee offensive player worthy of 'Kudos' at this point in the season. With a .270 batting average, 14 home runs and 31 RBI the center fielder is the only Yankee exceeding, or maybe even at least meeting, expectations at the plate. He is already basically halfway to last season's totals of 27 home runs and 67 RBI.
Wet Willies
Jorge Posada (.179, six home runs, 15 RBI); Nick Swisher (.218/2/14/.308 slugging percentage); Derek Jeter (.253/2/12/.309 OBP/.310 slugging); Alex Rodriguez (.250/8/24).
These guys are the main culprits. Posada, of course, has been terrible -- and we don't even need to talk about his insubordination. Forget Swisher's batting average, his slugging percentage is worse than Jeter's -- and that means pitiful. A-Rod hit two home runs Tuesday, after basically not doing a thing for a month.
Even Robinson Cano is 30 points off his 2010 batting average and on pace to drive in fewer runs than a season ago.
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You would think many of these guys would pick up the pace eventually, but by just how much? With holes at DH and right field, the Yankees might be tempted at some point to bring up top prospect Jesus Montero to bolster the offense. Maybe even seek a trade for someone like Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets, an idea we have already kicked around.
Pitching
Kudos
Mariano Rivera (13 saves, 1.42 ERA); David Robertson (1.62 ERA); Bartolo Colon (2-2, 3.74); Ivan Nova (4-3, 4.33).
Wet Willies
Rafael Soriano (5.40 ERA); Boone Logan (3.97); Phil Hughes (0-1, 13.94).
Rivera is still phenomenal, the game has never seen anything like him. Robertson has been excellent, throwing the ball 95 miles-per-hour and wriggling out of jams consistently. CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett have been OK, which is probably the same thing you can say for Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova and Joba Chamberlain.
Soriano has been terrible and is now hurt. Logan can't get lefties out, which is his only reason for being in the big leagues, and Chamberlain is frustratingly inconsistent.
Yes, the Yankees have Hughes, Soriano, Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte on the disabled list. This pitching staff is not good enough to compete in the post-season, however. If it is even good enough to get the Yankees there.
You have to wonder what General Manager Brian Cashman will do in an effort to reinforce it, especially to find a front-line starting pitcher.