While the New York Yankees’ first half of the 2023 season isn’t nearly as disappointing as the one put together by the team across town, they find themselves already teetering on the brink of falling out of the division title race.
Nearing the July 4 holiday, the Yankees were as many as 9.5 games out of first place in the AL East behind the Tampa Bay Rays with the surprising Baltimore Orioles sandwiched between them in second.
An offense that has been without Aaron Judge for a long stretch is below average, putting further stress on a pitching staff that has actually yielded just the sixth-fewest runs per game in Major League Baseball.
2023 Yankees first-half grades
Catchers
Jose Trevino, C: Following an All-Star emergence last season, Trevino has struggled mightily at the plate, slashing .210/.252/.301 (.552 OPS) as of July 2. His game-calling ability and defense behind the plate has salvaged his value, but he’s becoming a liability at the bottom of the lineup.
Kyle Higashioka, C+: Much like Trevino, Higashioka is providing next to nothing at the plate, but we give him the slightest edge because he was the man behind the plate calling Domingo German’s perfect game in Oakland against the Athletics.
Infielders
Anthony Rizzo (1B) B: Rizzo had been one of the Yankees’ better bats before a run-in with Fernando Tatis Jr. in late May injured his neck. His .267 average and .784 OPS rank second on the team amongst qualified batters behind only Judge.
Gleyber Torres (2B) B-: Torres continues to show that he has above-average power for a player at his position, but he’s been unable to recapture the magic of his first two seasons in the majors. Pair that with some discomposed play both in the field and on the basepaths and it’s been nothing more than a mediocre first half.
Anthony Volpe (SS) C: A majority of the first half was a horrid introduction for the Yankees’ supposed shortstop of the future as he looked utterly lost at the plate. But following a 72-game start in which he slashed an abysmal .189/.264/.350, a change in his batting stance has offered some promise. Over his last 12 games (June 20-July 2), the 22-year-old was batting .423 (16-for-37) with four extra-base hits.
DJ LeMahieu (3B) D: For a player whose value derives from an experienced bat — he’s won two batting titles — LeMahieu is struggling in his age 34 season. Batting just .225 as of July 2, he’s on pace for the worst offensive season of his 13-year career.
Josh Donaldson (3B) F: Manager Aaron Boone is remaining loyal to Donaldson despite his horrendous struggles. Injuries have limited his season to just 25 games, but he was batting just .136 as an ultimate feast-or-famine example. Eight of his 11 hits this season have been home runs.
Outfielders
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, B: The natural shortstop has adapted well to his new role in the outfield and his bat appears to be coming along as well. Over his last 42 games, he’s batting .286 with an .809 OPS with five home runs and 20 RBI — an admirable showing for a team that needed an influx of production in the outfield without Judge.
Oswaldo Cabrera, D-: Cabrera’s defensive versatility gives him some value, but he’s been ineffective at the plate, batting just .205 with a .567 OPS over his first 69 games.
Aaron Judge, A: Judge was putting together another elite season before an early-June injury derailed his 2023. In just 49 games, he blasted 19 home runs with a 1.078 OPS. His return can’t come soon enough.
Harrison Bader, B: Bader is another talent who has been limited by injuries. Limited to just 37 games, a .731 OPS with six home runs and 23 RBI is a solid output for an above-average defender.
Designated Hitter
Giancarlo Stanton, F: Another season of injury issues, another season of uninspiring production. Stanton is batting just .195 with a .657 OPS and seven home runs in 35 games.
Starting Pitching
Gerrit Cole, A: Cole is enjoying his best spell in pinstripes since his first season with the team in a COVID-shortened 2020. He’s 8-2 with a 2.79 ERA, 118 strikeouts in 109.2 innings pitched. Most importantly, he’s stayed healthy as a steady presence in a constantly-changing starting rotation.
Clarke Schmidt, B: What does it say about the state of the rotation when Clarke Schmidt has started the second-most games this season behind Cole? Regardless, the 27-year-old appears to be rounding into form. Over his last eight starts, he has a 2.55 ERA.
Domingo German, C+: This grade was going to be infinitely worse had it not been for that magical night in Oakland when German spun the 24th perfect game in MLB history. In his previous five starts before the perfect game, the righty allowed 21 earned runs in 24.1 innings pitched (7.77 ERA).
Nestor Cortes, D-: Currently on the 15-day injured list, Nasty Nestor had been mediocre. He had a 5-2 record despite a 5.16 ERA and a 1.298 ERA.
Luis Severino, F: Working his way back from injury was an accomplishment in itself for Severino, but the righty has contributed little to the rotation with a 6.30 ERA across eight starts.
Relief Pitching
Clay Holmes, A: Holmes has been lights-out following a turbulent start to the season. Over his last 33 appearances, he has a 1.99 ERA with just 21 hits allowed in 31.2 innings pitched.
Ron Marinaccio, B: Following a late-May hiccup that swelled his ERA to 4.26, Marinaccio has allowed just one earned run across his last 12 appearances (0.77 ERA).
Albert Abreu, B: Like Marinaccio, Abreu has been untouchable as of late. He has a 0.54 ERA in his last 14 appearances, allowing just one earned run in 16.2 innings pitched.
Michael King, A-: King has thrown the most innings (44.1) and recorded the most strikeouts (48) out of any pitcher in the Yankees’ bullpen — and he’s been reliable throughout with a 2.84 ERA and five saves.
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