No, we can't.

 

Strange days are upon us. As several here noted, baseball itself was banned in our evil old city by MLB this Fourth of July, and your New York Yankees were not allowed to play anyone, anywhere.

But really, what's to worry about?

Today's contest marks the halfway point of the season, and despite Ma Boone's recent proclivity for giving away games like a billionaire lighting his cigars with twenties, the Yanks are on a pace to win 116-118 games.

Sure, the boys have been looking a bit wobbly of late, and the usual disruptions of the All-Star Game will likely throw them off some more. 

The ever-annoying Red Sox will probably raise a little hell, just because of the number of games they have against us—and because they are the ever-annoying Red Sox. 

But I don't know that any of the Three Furies—the Carmine Hose, the BJs—or the TB Rays, can really make an extended run at us, thanks to how many games they have to make up, and how many they have to play against each other. 

The Sabremetricious agree. According to baseballreference, the Pinstripers have far and away the best chance to win the World Series, at 29.3 percent. (The Dodgers are at 20.6, Houston at 15.0)  

If this were another time in baseball, I MIGHT agree. 

If it were 1962, I'd say the Yankees were a heavy favorite to at least get to the Series. If it were 1992, I'd say they were a lock to get to the ALCS.

But it's 2022, and what I will say instead is that, as presently constituted—please note the caveat: as presently constituted—this Yankees team cannot win the World Series. It will not get to the World Series, and it is highly unlikely to win any postseason series, of any kind.

Hear me now and believe me later.

The truly weird and unprecedented fact of the past week or so was not the lack of a July 4th game, but that the Yankees were no-hit in one game and one-hit in another. I can't remember so much as reading about any two such games in our team's proud history.

That's right: just six walks and a single bingle—and I ain't talking Crosby—in two entire games. Along with a combined, 25 strikeouts.

What's more, the starting pitchers in those games, who each pitched 7, dominant innings, were not Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, or Juan Marichal.

They were, instead, Houston's Cristian "Sad Sack" Javier, and Cleveland's Triston "Jolly Cholly" McKenzie.

Perfectly serviceable young pitchers, who I wish we had. Maybe stars of the future. 

But not world beaters at present. Not anything like the top-flight pitching we will face every game in October.

This year's Yankees are on a pace to beat out the 114 regular-season wins of the 1998 Yanks, the Shining Star of the Last Dynasty. 

It is a lie. A chimera, a hallucination. A fraud, perpetrated against the roach-dog munching fan base.

(And incidentally, that team was already a little better than this one, going 61-20 through the first half. Just saying.)

This year's Yankees edition has been a wonderful surprise, and has many things going for it. 

It's starting five has been a revelation...but the 1998 team boasted Cone, Wells, and Pettitte, three seasoned veterans who had already won rings, pitching against the toughest competition of the decade. The fourth guy had escaped from a murderous communist dictatorship, for crying' out loud.

Gerrit Cole, by contrast, is...sometimes an ace. Sevvy was close to being the best pitcher in the AL when he got hurt, four years ago. Can he be that again? Can both rise to the occasion?

The 2022 bullpen has displayed amazing depth—but also fragility. The 1998 team had The Great One, Stanton, Nelson, Mendoza, and Lloyd, Slapper of Mets.  

But the real difference is at bat.

The 1998 team could rake from both sides of the plate, with lefties Paulie, Tino, Darryl, and Ricky Ledee, and switch-hitters Bernie, Jorge, and Tim Raines. Plus it had more depth than a shark has back-up teeth, with the likes of Girardi, Sojo, Chili Davis, Shane Spencer, and Homer Bush.  

This team...has nothing like that. 

I know, I know: it's a different age in baseball. But no 2022 Yankee starter is hitting over .282, and the whole team is batting .238. 

The bench is LeMahieu, Carpenter, Higashioka, and Martin Gonzalez. Our one, effective power lefty, Anthony Rizzo, is hitting .223.

The big trade with Minnesota to strengthen the left side of the infield was a big bust. Likable as Falafel is, he still has no home runs and 19 ribbies. Crusty Donaldson is stumblebum, and then there's Ben "Dammit, I'm a weightlifter not a ballplayer" Biceptvedt. Or rather, where is he?  

We would have been infinitely better off just jettisoning Sanchez and signing Carlos Correa—the one big, middle-infield free agent now playing up to his past. But we didn't.

If this team does not homer, it does not score. And in the playoffs it will be facing, every night, pitchers against whom home runs are precious few.

Not that it's too late to correct any of that. But a recent piece on the Yanks noted that they are already over the salary cap, which was costing them an extra $3 million in fines. Gee willikers. 

Anyone want to guess who that was leaked from? And what it means? 

We look to the man we once mocked as "Babe" Benitendi as a savior. But the Babe has 3 homers and 31 ribbies this year, which ain't much even for Kansas City. We should definitely take Zach's suggestion and bring up Florial RIGHT NOW, and Miggy, too...but we won't, because it would mean giving up on Joey Gallo ten minutes before all of baseball does.

So what are we going to do?

Much as I love baseballreference, Max Scherzer is about to rejoin the Mets. If they have him and deGrom at anywhere close to their old form, they have twice the chance our boys do to win it all.

For that matter, can you imagine this Yankees team—as is—beating the Dodgers in the Fall Classic? Or Houston in the ALCS? Or even the revived Rays in a best-of-five ALDS? 

I can't. Throw out the first half. Forget about all those wins, nice as they are. 

Unless this Yankees team makes some key changes—and they will have to make them this month—I believe they cannot win.