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"A STANTONIAN Home Run! Giancarlo! Non si puo stopparlo!" ~ John Sterling | Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
A promising two wins off the last-place Twins calms the treacherous world of Twitter for a moment but clearly compensates for the abysmal Red Sox performance the team had last week. This small burst of success obstructs the deeper issues that currently hinder the team. You may ask, "what comes next?", and hope for an acquisition spree at the trade deadline that will spark the Yank's potential. Or the exact opposite occurs.
This slate of games against Minnesota provided glimpses of the Yankee's identity. Although a heartbreaking loss in game three, thanks to a Nelson Cruz walk-off, still provided a small sample size of the Yankee's full capacity.
Powerful no-doubter home runs combined with consistent hit production are just some of the exciting moments Yankee fans saw this past week. Giancarlo has clobbered three home runs, Andujar has been providing stellar defense and a hot bat, Gary Sanchez is silencing doubters, and Aaron Judge is playing like his All-Star self. The Yankee bats have "awoken" and the offense is starting to click. It is expecting that the following will occur in the coming days or weeks. DJ LeMahieu will find his stride, Luke Voit returns from the IL, and players like Sanchez and Andujar become the second comings of their rookie selves. More "reinforcements" return from injury. The most recent no-hitter thrower, Corey Kluber, refills the starting lineup Bullpen depth is being bolstered, with the trio of Darren O'Day, Justin Wilson, and Zack Britton expecting to be back fairly soon. Then, of course, the most anticipated storyline moment, is the Luis Severino pitching for the first time in twenty months.
The "death-star" has come together and Thanos has gathered all the Infinity Stones, the Team is at full force. Cashman and Co. will preach that team should stand path and focus on both the present and the future. He paints the scene that they didn't have to spend when they had internal personal come and the holes. They didn't need to ship of prospects for potential one-year "rentals" that most likely push them over the luxury tax. They undoubtedly clinch a trip to the playoffs but fail to get to the World Series. Boone is on the hot seat but catches slack for the number of injuries hindering the team's potential. The team relies on the farm and forty-man roster to compete for the title, rather than consider external options that just, make, sense. The reality of this all is that this is a logical breakdown of what can occur. The small sample size of winning and stability provides the perfect opportunity for Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman to reap the benefits and become complacent. The process is finally paying off. The Yankees are an undeniable force when healthy and playing past their expectations. The pitchers become lockdown, the defense is stingy, and the offense has collapsed firepower coming from top to bottom. When not dismantled by injuries and find their respective rhythms, this team is arguably one of the best in the league.
It is still important to celebrate the small victories. This series against the Twins seemed to have uplifted the morale of the team. The offense began to catch the wind and the pitching has been formidable. It will be exciting to see the team come together in full, as key players rejoin the team. The A.L. East is a challenging division this season, it will not come easy. It will be up to the front office to decide which path to take to steer the team in the "right" direction.