Getty Image
It seems that The New York Yankees come up in World Series predictions year in and year out, but this year especially was supposed to be their year. With the acquisition of Gerrit Cole, and with a powerhouse of a lineup, the Yankees were almost a sure thing to dominate the American League this year in pre-season predictions. The injury bug has hit New York harder than ever and the Yankees now find themselves five games back of the Tampa Rays. This leads to the question, is it time to hit the panic button in New York?
My thoughts as a Yankee fan myself is yes. With shortstop Gleyber Torres set to be coming off the IL shortly as well as superstar Aaron Judge, there is definitely help on the way, but it may not be enough. Amongst others, the Yankees are eagerly awaiting the return of James Paxton, their No. 2 starter who looks to be out for quite some time. On top of that, it’s time the American League East division starts giving some respect to the team they are chasing, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are young and loaded with pitching that might be able to help them widen the gap between them and the Yanks before they can get their stars back from the IL.
Nobody can deny that this season has been different from anything else baseball fans have ever seen, and with the new playoff and extra innings format, it is only going to get stranger. But regardless of circumstances, the Yankees need to flip the switch immediately if they are going to have a shot at winning the AL East and making a postseason run. Not often do Yankees fans have to say this at the beginning of September, but it is indeed time to hit the panic button in New York.