What Will Carry the New York Yankees the Distance—Pitching or Offense?

The New York Yankees 2012 season has been a blend of great pitching (at times) and powerful hitting (at times) which has carried them to the top of the American League East Division.

As the year heads into the final full month of the season, it remains to be seen as to which Yankees squad will carry the day. Will it be the offense with its power-laden lineup, or will it be the pitching with its deep talented bullpen?

The team has suffered numerous injuries to the offense, rotation, and bullpen, yet they remain within striking distance of the best record in the American League. 

Attrition may ultimately determine which faction of the team must shoulder the load in its run to a title.

This article takes a peek at how the team might define itself.

Pitching

For the most part, the New York Yankees pitching staff has weathered a number of injuries this season to currently rank 11th in all of baseball with a team 3.79 ERA. They also stand sixth in complete games.

During June they were among the very best in the MLB, holding a 2.99 ERA for the month, and yielding a miniscule .237 batting average to opponents. Over 27 games, the Yankees pitching gave up more than four runs just five times and went 20-7.    

Then June 27th occurred.

On that fateful day, the "Bombers" put ace CC Sabathia on the disabled list with a pulled groin, and pitcher Andy Pettitte—the beloved southpaw and owner of a 3.22 ERA—broke his ankle on a comeback liner from hitter Casey Kotchman. Since then, the team is 27-24, and while Sabathia has returned (after one other stay on the DL), the starting rotation clearly lacks the depth it enjoyed with Pettitte.

One shining spot among the starting five is pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. Through the turmoil of the inconsistencies with starters Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova, and losing Michael Pineda (before the season began), Pettitte, and Sabathia for periods of time, the former Dodger has gone 12-9 with a spectacular 2.98 ERA. He has been the dependable "ace" the team desperately needed to keep moving forward.

Fill-ins, Freddy Garcia and David Phelps, have also managed to keep the Yankees rotation afloat with strong performances.

In the bullpen, the team lost Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera for the season at the beginning of May, and Rafael Soriano has helped to ease the pain by registering 33 saves in 36 attempts during "The Sandman's" absence.

Other relievers like Boone Logan (3.92 ERA) and Clay Rapada (2.94 ERA) have helped to make the bullpen one of the strengths of the Yankees.

If Hiroki Kuroda can maintain his consistency, and with CC Sabathia appearing to be past his ailments, the team has a potent one-two punch at the top of the rotation. The depth to the staff will return with Pettitte in September and coupled with an already strong 'pen (that included the recent return of Joba Chamberlain), the New York Yankees pitching has shown it is capable of bearing the load in taking the team to a championship.

Offense

Pitching hasn't been the only area where the "Bronx Bombers" have had to work around injuries. This Yankee squad has lost its left-fielder, third-baseman, and now possibly its first-baseman for significant periods of time in 2012.

Through shrewd off-season signings and in-season trades, not to mention timely call-ups from Scranton, the team has managed to patch those holes and not miss a beat. Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones, Jayson Nix, Eric Chavez, and Casey McGehee have all been utilized much more than anticipated, and all have contributed to the team's hitting success.

The Yankees rank fourth in hitting (with 622 runs scored) in Major League Baseball, including first in home runs and first in slugging percentage. They have 10 players in double digits in home runs, four players with 70 or more RBI, and four players with 65 or more runs scored.

To put it bluntly, this team can "bring it".

There is a saying that goes "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword", and more than once the Yankees dependency upon their power had cost them in games.

Until Ichiro showed up.

Prior to the late July trade that brought the former Mariner to the Bronx, the Yankees had 12 sacrifice bunts. In the 30 days since Ichiro's arrival, they have seven. It is clear that Suzuki's presence in the lineup gives the team a different "look", and allows manager Joe Girardi the option of playing "small ball".

With that new facet to their game to compliment what is already the most explosive lineup in baseball, the New York Yankees offense has the capability to carry the club on long win streaks. One 22 game stretch in June is an example of that as the team went 18-4 to pull away from the pack in the AL East. During that period, the team averaged five runs per game and hit 39 HR (an average of nearly two—1.77—per game).

What Do You Think?

There are just 34 games remaining in the regular season and the New York Yankees are 3.5 games up in the American League East Division. As they put injuries to the likes of Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Texeira in their rear-view mirror, this team should only get stronger.

As September call-ups occur, manager Joe Girardi will continue to have a variety of weapons at his disposal. How he uses them will be key to the team's chances for a 28th World Series title.

As to which Yankees squad (Pitching or Offense) will most define their last month and playoff run is anyone's guess, but one thing is for certain, the 2012 version of the team is built for the long haul.