The 2015 New York Yankees (and they need to stop being introduced as "YOUR 2015 New York Yankees" unless Hal, Hank and the crew are willing to share the profits) are the most bipolar team I can remember seeing. When they're up, they can beat anybody. Then they lose one game and you can expect two weeks of incredible ineptitude. Someone please pass the lithium.
"Streaky" is one thing. As a hitter, Brett Gardner is "streaky." He does really well for a while, then goes into a slump, but he's not a total loss at the plate because he will take a walk and that can (if he gets over his fear of flying) become a double. That's pretty good. And he's almost always an asset in the field.
But this team is not just streaky. This team has multiple personalities, and the good one has never met the bad one. They wouldn't recognize each other if they passed in the street. It's like there's a dungeon below Yankee Stadium: The Theme Park and the doppelgangers are kept down there to be let out when the next change of fortunes is due. The problem is, it's impossible to tell which team is the real Yankees, and which one is the doppelgangers.
The Yankees went on a seven-game winning streak and nobody could beat them. Bring on the Angels, bring on the Mariners (including King Felix but not Robinson Cano because nobody looking like him showed up for that series), start to bring on the Nationals. No problem.
Then one game goes bad against the Nats, Andrew Miller goes on the 15-day DL, the vaunted bullpen is suddenly a liability, and the bad team comes out of the dungeon.
Except that's not all there is to it. Michael Pineda, arguably the best starter on the team this year, gets extra rest and discovers he knows how to give up tons of runs. The outfield can't decide on who should catch a popup, so they agree to let it fall. Mr. Rod, who gave up hitting home runs after he passed Willie Mays and wasn't given six million dollars the next day, is clamming up at the very whiff (pardon the expression) of 3,000 hits. Yes, it happened to Derek Jeter, too. No, I don't see the two the same way. Jeter was concerned about doing it in front of the hometown fans. Mr. Rod appears worried that he'll do it on a day the Yankees are not playing on national TV. Put the Fox cameras on and he gets two hits a night. On YES? A couple of strikeouts, a nice grounder to short. See you tomorrow.
This is in many ways a disturbing team. Masahiro Tanaka's elbow should be encased in bubble wrap and allowed out only on days he pitches. Here's a weird concept: The Yankees have no shortstop. How is that possible? Did they not know Jeter was going to turn 40? He'd been around for 20 years. Did it never occur to anyone they might want to draft a kid who could play there?
Second base? Yes, Stephen Drew has hit some home runs. In fact, he's hit 9 home runs, which many people will point out are 7 more home runs than Cano, who has decided he likes the money and the facial hair in Seattle and not much else. But Drew is also hitting .172, which means he's been useful in 9 plate appearances this year. Bulletin: That's not enough.
Seven Yankees who are at least semi-regulars have on-base percentages under .300. Sir Didi has a slugging percentage of .286. Which would be fine if he were the defensive wizard we were promised. Not so much. Except when he makes a great play.
And that's the problem. Look at the Yankees when they're winning and they seem like the 1998 Yankees, who can beat anybody just by deciding they will. Look at them when they're losing and they're the 1966 version, which finished in 10th place. Out of 10. There is no in-between.
David Carpenter is gone. That's good. Esmil Rogers is gone. That's probably good, too. But so is Miller, and if you believe it's going to be two weeks before he's back, you're adorable. That means at this point the reliable members of the Yankee bullpen are Dellin Betances. If your starting pitcher goes eight innings, that's great. When's the last time a Yankee starter did that?
Every team in the world is looking at Ben Zobrist of the A's for a trade. It stands to reason the Yankees might like a guy who can actually play second base and hit at the same time, not to mention could fill in at short when Sir Didi's amazing glove needs to cool off from another day of making astounding stops and then throwing just a little too late to get the runner. And play some outfield because Ellsbury might be back after the All-Star break and this year's Chris Young is the Mets Chris Young, not the Yankee Chris Young. It gets confusing.
And they're not getting Zobrist anyway, because other teams will offer better prospects in return. Do I want to give up Rob Refsnyder of 2017 for Ben Zobrist now? Probably not.
The bullpen? Girardi will figure that out. He always does; it's his best thing. The starting pitching? Ivan Nova started in the minors again last night and did well; that means he'll be on his way soon. Tanaka is looking good, even if you hold your breath each and every time he lets that ball go. Pineda on regular rest might revert back to the dominant one we saw earlier this year. Adam Warren? Nova's coming back, Adam. You've done well but you don't pitch deep into games and every other starter has a massive contract except Eovaldi. Girardi always figures out the bullpen. Do the math. When this stretch of 20 games in 20 days is over, there's a good chance you'll be hanging with Dellin until you're needed.
That is, assuming the good Yankees show up again and need a decent reliever. Otherwise, we'll know who the doppelgängers were all the time.
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