We’re two weeks into the season, and I imagine this is not the start that the Yankees nor their fans envisioned. A mostly-listless offense is the main culprit, though 80 percent of the starting rotation also deserves blame. Brian Cashman assembled a staff of four-plus wide variance starters behind Gerrit Cole with the hope they could hit their top percentile outcomes, but so far that high-risk bet has not paid off.
As Joe detailed yesterday, the Yankees bullpen has been the saving grace of the team so far. With the starters not named Cole struggling to clear five innings per start, it will take a herculean effort by the relief corps to remain effective across the 162-game season.