Yankees' Complete Guide, Preview for 2nd Half of 2022 MLB Season
The New York Yankees will likely roll into the All-Star break with a double-digit lead in the AL East standings, despite it once again being arguably the best division in baseball.
Outfielder Aaron Judge is the AL MVP front-runner in a contract year, the starting rotation has been among the best in baseball, and a new-look bullpen has been a major strength with Clay Holmes and Michael King leading the way.
Can they find continued success down the stretch?
Ahead, we've provided a preview for the second half of the season, complete with potential X-factors, a trade deadline outlook and a blueprint for this Yankees team to reach the postseason.
Second-Half X-Factors
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SP Jameson Taillon
Taillon was terrific out of the gates this season, going 8-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his first 13 starts, but he has struggled of late. The 30-year-old has an 8.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and an ugly .323 opponents' batting average over 21 innings in his last four starts. Getting him back on track will be key if the rotation is going to continue to be a strength.
CF Aaron Hicks
After hitting just .218/.338/.284 over the first three months of the season, Hicks is batting .370/.485/.889 with three doubles, three home runs and eight RBI in 33 plate appearances in July. The Yankees are simply a better team when he's healthy and productive.
SP Domingo German/RP Jonathan Loaisiga
German (18 GS, 4.58 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) and Loaisiga (57 G, 5 SV, 18 HLD, 2.17 ERA) were key members of the pitching staff a year ago, but injuries have rendered them both a non-factor so far this season. However, both could return before the All-Star break or shortly thereafter, and they still have the potential to be key contributors in 2022.
Trade Deadline Outlook
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Even if Aaron Hicks continues to hit well, the Yankees might still look for a left-handed hitting outfielder at the deadline.
Outside of Anthony Rizzo, Matt Carpenter, Joey Gallo and the switch-hitting Hicks, the Yankees lineup is extremely right-handed, and adding someone like Andrew Benintendi or David Peralta to the mix would bring a bit more balance. The Yankees are already showing interest in both veteran outfielders, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The other obvious area to address is the starting rotation.
Despite ranking third in the majors with a 3.18 ERA from the starting staff, the Yankees will have to take into account the recent struggles of Jameson Taillon and the fact that Luis Severino is likely on an innings limit in his return from Tommy John surgery. There's also the potential for further regression from Nestor Cortes who has a 5.34 ERA in his last six starts.
They could aim high and make a run at Luis Castillo or Frankie Montas, or they could target more of a low-cost innings eater like Chad Kuhl, Jose Quintana or Zach Davies.
The Yankees Make the Postseason If...
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With a 61-26 record and a 14-game lead in the AL East standings entering play on Wednesday, it's going to take a collapse of epic proportions for the Yankees to miss the postseason.
Put another way, they could play .500 baseball the rest of the season and still win over 100 games. Only eight times in MLB history has a team won 100 games and failed to reach the postseason, and it hasn't happened since the 1993 San Francisco Giants helped usher in the wild-card era.
Just making the playoffs isn't going to cut it, though.
This team has legitimate title aspirations, and as long as their key pieces stay healthy, there's no reason the Yankees can't reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Tuesday's games.
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