When Austin Romine homered on Saturday, he became the 10th Yankee to hit at least 10 home runs this season -- and if just one more player does the same, the Yankees will tie a major league record.
Romine's 10th home run came in the seventh inning when he hit a solo shot during the Yankees' 4-2 win.
"We've gotten production from a lot of different places, maybe some we didn't even expect coming into the year," manager Aaron Boone said, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "Guys have had to play more. Young guys have taken over significant roles. The fact that we've gotten production from everywhere is a big reason we're having a strong year."
More players could be joining Romine soon. Neil Walker has nine home runs, while Luke Voit is not far behind with seven.
The Yankees have totaled 232 home runs this far, while the 1997 Mariners currently have the record in a season with 264.
Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives
If a team is going to live and die by the number of home runs they hit, the club better have a bunch of players capable of going yard. The Yankees do.
While it would be nice to occasionally see the Yanks slap some singles and doubles in situations where the approach makes sense in a tight game, it's been apparent all season that New York is simply not built that way. The Yankees pound the baseball. Sometimes they hit the ball out of the park in bunches and other times we sit back and watch as they flail away with no results.
The overall results do not lie; the Yankees are on pace to win 102 baseball games, largely as a result of the 232 home runs they have hit so far this season. The issue with being reliant on the home run is that they become harder to come by once the postseason begins. This isn't an argument about too many home runs -- that's absurd -- rather it is a simple truth that the other facets of the game will have to be solid because there will be fewer games with four players hitting dingers in a game than might occur in a regular season affair.
The good news for the Yankees is that if they need a three-run homer in a postseason game, they have up to 12 players with a legitimate chance to come through. That is a certain advantage and one the Yankees will rely on in October.