It feels like a new beginning with the New York Yankees. After weeks of inconsistency and hard luck, they are finally managing to make their way up to playoff contention again. They are securing the third AL Wild Card spot with enough cushion to give fans some hope.
However, is it the Yankees that fan expects? Not really. However, a sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals gives them that steady footing that they have been missing all summer. Luis Gil, for example, had set the tone when playing with the Cardinals. The bullpen looks like it is slowly fixing itself back together. This team finally looks like the team that entered at the beginning of the season. A team with fire to make it to the World Series.
However, while everyone is talking about their recent glory, there is Joel Sherman, who is still not convinced by them yet. For him, there are lapses and red flags that cost the Yankees in the long run.
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA New York Yankees at Atlanta Braves Jul 20, 2025 Cumberland, Georgia, USA New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. 13 hits a double to drive in a run against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Truist Park. Cumberland Truist Park Georgia USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDalexZaninex 20250720_dwz_sz2_0000032
MLB insider Joel Sherman took one player in particular on the podcast. Sherman mentioned, “Does anybody stand up in the meeting ever and say, you know, Jazz Chisholm Jr. hasn’t tried a stolen base in two months? …When you’re a team that sits around and wakes for walks and homers, which are incredibly valuable, let’s not run away from it. Getting on base with a free pass and certainly hitting it over the fence are incredibly valuable things that you do not want to give up as a team, but they are, in a way, a walk for sure, and a home run to some degree are kind of like passive weight for it acts.”
And he is not wrong, Jazz. Chisholm Jr. might have improved a little, but he is still missing that pop. In a time when players like Will Smith and teams like the Mariners are killing it, the Yanks and Chisholm need more than just normal. He has 21 homers and 56 RBIs, but he has also made some errors that are tough to ignore. Just three weeks back, Chisholm Jr. became the face of a huge problem when he turned a routine pop-up in Miami into a double play. He strayed too far off first base, and the error happened. When he was asked about it, he said he wouldn’t have handled it any differently. This stubbornness also didn’t sit well with many. And there lies a bigger issue: the roster, no matter how talented, is undone by sloppy mistakes.
From Chisholm’s blunder to Auston Wells forgetting the number of outs against the Rays, these things add up in the bigger picture, and perhaps that is what Sherman really wanted to highlight. Making it even worse for the Yankees is the recent Aaron Judge update!
The Yankees’ winning streak could be short-lived after Judge’s update!
The New York Yankees are finally stringing in wins, but the vibes may not last that long. According to Yankees insider Bryan Hoch, manager Aaron Boone admitted that he doesn’t expect Aaron Judge to bounce back fully this season. “I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year. We’re trying to get through to where he can let it go with ease and be able to protect himself.”
For the New York Yankee fans, this is a gut punch, given they were finally on the edge of normalcy. Judge, though, has been battling a right flexor strain, and that landed him on a 10-day injured list. Since his return, he has been limited to DH duties. Sure, he is mashing at the plate, and he has knocked two home runs since being back. But his being in DH does create a ripple effect in the lineup.
This is where Giancarlo Stanton comes in. Normally, he is kept out of the field to reduce the injury risk. But he has been forced into the right field, in place of Judge. And while things looked great at first, issues have popped up regarding his durability. A minor lower-body tweak kept him out for a stretch, and it reminded everyone why Boone likes him as DH. Now there is a time crunch, and they need Judge and his leadership. They also need Stanton to be healthy so he can be reliable in the run. The clash against their archrivals, the Boston Red Sox.
The post Yankees’ Crucial Surge Belittled as Jazz Chisholm Jr. Forced to Face Harsh Reality Amid Fading World Series Dreams appeared first on EssentiallySports.
