Prior to the 2021 season, the Yankees were a trendy World Series pick and favored by nearly every projection system to be one of the best teams in the American League. Their lineup was supposed to marauder AL pitching just as it did last season. In early June, they’re barely above .500, nowhere near first place in the division. There’s a long way to go, but to this point, they’re one of the biggest disappointments in MLB so far.
The problem isn’t hard to spot. In 2020, they led the AL with 5.25 runs per game. This season, they’re dead last with 3.