Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |
For nearly half a season, the Yankees played with an underlying sense of excitement and expectation, because the team knew that it could be in the midst of a special year.
That feeling has since fizzled, even inside the executive offices of Yankee Stadium, where injury and losses have contributed to a more resigned -- if still hopeful -- vibe. But over the past several days, a series of developments signaled yet another shift.
It is rare in baseball for one series to carry any broader meaning, but this has been an exceptional week. The Yankees might be clicking again, in significant ways and at the perfect time.
Think about everything that has happened since the Red Sox came to town:
- On Tuesday, rain pushed a 1 p.m. game back to 7 p.m., which gave Aaron Judge time to participate in a morning simulated game, and make a case to rejoin the Yankees' lineup. After leaving the field around 11:30 a.m., Judge repeatedly pestered the training staff, manager Aaron Boone, and GM Brian Cashman, pleading to be included in that evening's game. We don't yet know if Judge's wrist or extended layoff will inhibit his ability to contribute, but as even he admitted, the injury limited his ability to even properly cheer on teammates. "It's hard to say 'let's go' in the dugout when you're just chewing gum," Judge said.
- That night, J.A. Happ continued his career-long mastery of the Red Sox, giving the Yankees a reliable starter in a potential division series matchup.
- The following day, when Luis Severino suddenly looked crisp and confident again, it became suddenly more feasible to hold Happ for that division series, and again consider using Severino in the wild card game against Oakland. Masahiro Tanaka has also been pitching well. And just like that, the Yankees are much closer to having three starters on whom they can rely.
- The Yankees have spent two days exposing the Boston bullpen. That is a glaring weakness, and it's hard to imagine improvement in October. Those relief issues significantly diminish expectations around the Sox, despite their historic regular season win total.
- It doesn't hurt to have a fun folk hero during an October run, and Luke Voit is providing just such a narrative for the Yanks. Voit contributed another pair of homers in Wednesday's win. Whatever his future in the game is -- it remains unclear if Voit is legit, or a marginal player riding a hot streak -- he is providing the team with a lift, and covering for the dreary vibe that surrounds Greg Bird.
- With Aroldis Chapman's return and Zach Britton's return to excellence, the back end of the bullpen is finally resembling what it was supposed to be.
There are obvious reasons to temper this optimism.
Before Boston came to town, the Yanks dropped series to Minnesota and Toronto. Severino's strong start came after months of struggle, and a sense that he might simply be worn down until next year. Judge still just returned from a broken wrist. And the possibility of a playoff run depends entirely on a one-game crapshoot against Oakland. But there's no denying that a team that once appeared to be sinking is now rising, and at a most convenient time.