We’re still a month and a half from the July 31 trade deadline, but the arms race has already begun in the American League. The Yankees, one of the AL’s premier teams, pulled off a stunning move Saturday in acquiring prolific slugger Edwin Encarnacion from the Mariners for young pitching prospect Juan Then. Including the 21 home runs he has already racked up this season, no major leaguer has hit more HRs than Encarnacion’s 284 dating back to his 2012 breakout with the Blue Jays.
It’s clear the Yankees are trying to construct a super lineup, and it’s likely that’s what they’ll have when injured star outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton return from their long absences in the coming weeks. A full-strength Yankees lineup will include Encarnacion at designated hitter, Judge in right field, Stanton in left, Aaron Hicks in center, Gary Sanchez at catcher, Luke Voit at first, Gleyber Torres at second, Didi Gregorius at short and DJ LeMahieu at third. If you’re an opposing pitcher set to face that lineup, you may hope for a torrential downpour.
On the other hand, the Yankees’ starting staff looks far from foolproof, as noted earlier this week. Injured ace Luis Severino should be in position to finally make his season debut after the All-Star break. Even if that happens, the Yankees will need slumping second and third starters James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka to right themselves. The club also has to find answers behind those two, as Domingo German (now injured), CC Sabathia and J.A. Happ haven’t been able to provide any of late. Don’t be surprised if general manager Brian Cashman, after acquiring Encarnacion, makes another significant trade for starting pitching as a result.
The Yankees’ bullpen, meanwhile, doesn’t need a lot of help. Their relief corps hasn’t matched some of the “best ever” talk that was out there entering the season, but it remains a strength. And the group will become all the more formidable if Dellin Betances, yet another injured standout, returns sometime in the summer. Betances, Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman forming Voltron at the end of games would certainly make life easier on the Yankees’ rotation, regardless of whether the team adds a starter from outside.
At 42-27, the Yankees don’t carry the AL’s best record – not by a long shot. Both Minnesota and Houston are five games ahead of the Yankees, and the Astros have a few of their own cornerstones mending from injuries in Jose Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa.
Let’s also not discount two of the Yankees’ division rivals, Tampa Bay and reigning World Series champion Boston. The Rays are just a half-game behind the Yankees and, for what it’s worth, own a far better run differential (plus-96 to plus-65). Furthermore, they could get back an important in-season reinforcement in budding ace Tyler Glasnow, out since May with a forearm strain, as early as next month.
The Red Sox don’t look as if they’ll approach last year’s 108-win outburst, and they have 5 1/2 games to make up on the Yankees. However, the sleeping giant in Boston may finally be waking up, having won four in a row. The Sox also own a plus-47 run differential that’s not quite befitting of their 38-34 record, and they’re another team with an injured starter (Nathan Eovaldi) who may return soon to complete its rotation.
Considering the presences of the Twins, Astros, Rays and Red Sox – not to mention a few other playoff contenders – the Yankees have their work cut out for them if they’re going to earn their first pennant since 2009. Plus, any or all of those teams could bolster themselves by the deadline. The Yankees, though, have managed one of the game’s top records thus far without many (or any) contributions from Encarnacion, Judge, Stanton – three players about to grace their lineup on a daily basis – and may see Severino and Betances return. With that in mind, is New York the favorite in the AL?
(Poll link for app users)
I think they were the favorites on Opening Day and the case is only stronger now. I would be SHOCKED if they didn’t get to the World Series, and this is coming from an A’s fan.
Lol. They weren’t the favorites. The Astros are still the favorites over New York.
Rays, Twins and Astros are all way better than the Yankees.
Imagine being delusional enough to think the Rays and Twins are better than the Yankees. The Astros are the only AL team that can compete with the Yankees
lol
Yankees have been rolling out their AAA+ team all year and still are .5 ahead of the Rays.
Lol. Really?
Yeps
The Yankees have played 7 more games vs the Orioles than the Rays have and still only have 0.5 game lead over them. Who’s delusional again? LOL!!!
I like the part where you saw someone on Twitter say “imagine being x” and thought OH MAN IF ME SAY THAT ME LOOK SMART ON INTERNET
Yankees lead the season series against the Rays 4-2 and have had many star players on the IL so far including 4 all stars who are currently on the IL. But sure draw your conclusions based on who has played the Orioles more times
Its ok because we are 18-5 against the Rays and Red Sox
Yeah, when they were both playing bad.
Yankees have a team FIP of 4.34 and ERA of 4.09, Rays are 3.39/3.01, they are about to destroy them in September – its why the Yankees are stacking up on bats, because they’re about to be in a bunch of 8-6 games.
Severino will be back in the rotation next month, Paxton will be much better once he’s fully healthy, Tanaka will likely pitch better than he has over the last several weeks, and they will likely trade for a quality SP by the deadline. The Yankees rotation will only get better. If the Rays don’t make moves to get another SP and a couple quality RPs the Yankees will dust them in the second half
The Yankees have owned the Twins forever. Not a chance Minnesota beats the Yankees come playoff time.
Again, that twins vs Yankees history is nonsensical anyway, and also almost entirely based on players that aren’t on the team in a long time. Thinking that will continue forever is ignorant at best.
LOL….Okay hater…
I will say, the only team that on paper can stop the Yankees is the Astros. I would put my chips on us beating any of the other teams
No pitching = no chance.
Rays are also adding frontline SP Brendan McKay to the rotation in the second half, no big deal…
Yankees are going to need to trade for Scherzer to even have any kind of chance at the WC – forget the East, that’s as good as Tampa’s.
Thank you for the laugh. Tampa hasn’t exactly run away with anything yet
Yeah. Trash pitching always wins…
I voted Yes but I’ll condition it on the Yankees acquiring a top starting pitcher (like Bauer or Stroman). And knowing the Yankees they probably get it done and thus they are the favorites.
Stroman is not a “top starting pitcher”
A 3.18 ERA over 15 starts right now say youre very, very wrong. Again.
Nice fact there, don’t listen to haters that will go against the Yankees on every front. People who are objective get it.
Stroman is s mid rotation Sonny Gray clone that Toronto would want a ransom for. Hard pass!
Imagine saying “Sonny Gray clone” like its a bad thing. Gray has a 3.03 FIP and 3.65 ERA right now, genius. Stop talking please, lol
They’re acquiring Luis Severino near the all star break how many teams have that luxury
Haha no way Yankees aren’t even the favourite for the east that title goes to Blue Jays come on now guy
It’s close but i think the Astros. I’d say the Yankees lineup is better, but the Astros pitching makes them a tiny bit better.
Agree Yankees fan here.
No , the astros are still the heavy favorite coming out of the american league. I still have the rays upsetting everyone by winning the al east.
Well being an Angels fan totally warps and discounts your prediction!
Nice call out. Angels aren’t that good too bad for the best player in baseball.
I guess the Rays are still the underdogs
And the Rays wouldn’t have it any other way.
Like they have a choice. They are garbage time superstars.
Couldn’t agree more, the Rays thrive on that
Twins have had the best record in baseball all season and still aren’t getting a sliver of recognition. And yes, there is validity to the fact that they live in an easy division, but according to all sources, up until the last week or so the Yankees have actually had the easiest schedule in the league – and now that they’re starting to play tougher teams, they’re 4-6 in their last 10. I see them as the third best team in the American league
Twins do have the best record, but they are knocking them down because they can’t beat the yankees to save their life. I have them getting Anthony Rendon at the deadline.
Twins don’t need any positions players. They’re the best team in the league or close to it in most offensive stats. That’s spread across the whole team. Almost ten players with more than 10 home runs. At least three set to get 100 rbis with others on the cusp. Twins need pitching.
maybe a bullpen arm for them, their rotation has been lights out
Difference is other teams have staying power. The Yankees have driven on despite numerous injuries, if they add an arm they will be tough to beat. The Twins? They’ve been extremely fortunate thus far and won’t be able to maintain the pace nor spring for the additions they’ll need to advance.
Twins have had injuries (sano missed the first month and a half or so, garver missed a couple weeks, others). And it’s a joke to think the twins couldn’t spring for pieces. In addition to have the best record in the bigs, they have a top 5-10 farm system and almost no payroll commitments for next year. They’re in a prime spot.
I can see the twins getting MadBum
That’s been a big rumor since he put out his no-trade list with the twins missing from it. They definitely have the farm talent to pull it off.
I’m sure the twins brass are also looking at the White Sox right now. They’re rising fast. The team doesn’t want to make a move now knowing it could compromise them two years from now… and beyond.
Lol you associate the Yankees struggles because they’re playing the jays and white Sox and they are “tougher”? Schedule has nothing to do with their struggles. Also, twins are 36-97 against the Yankees since 2002, 1-2 this year and 0-5 in playoff matchups.
As long as the Yankees are in the playoff hunt nobody is taking the twins seriously. It’s the most one sided matchup in North American sports.
I am well aware of the fact that the twins have been dominated by the Yankees head to head for a decade and a half. There’s no actual reason for it though, (at least without gardenhire acting scared, but he’s gone) so with it being an obvious anomaly (since like you’ve said it’s the most lopsided head to head) at some point it’s going to stop. And the twins are a better team so far this year
The record from 2002 is relevant because Jeter, Pettite and Mo all are still with the Yankees. How silly.
Playing in the subpar AL Central sure doesn’t hurt.
Again, theyve had a harder schedule thus far than the Yankees. The twins remaining schedule is indeed a cakewalk. But they won the season series against the Astros, took 3 of 4 IN Tampa, etc. it’s silly to think they’re not for real
How is the twins remaining schedule a cake walk? They have 3 against Boston, Tampa bay, Oakland and Texas before the break and play Cleveland, Oakland and the Yankees right after the break and a 12 game stretch of games against contenders in August. The Twins have beat up the bad teams but are only 14-13 against teams with .500 or better records. I’m not saying they aren’t a good team because they clearly have played well but 18 of their remaining 32 games before the deadline being against .500 plus teams is going to be the real test of whether they are for real or not.
For what it’s worth the Rays play extremely poor in Tropicana field and very well in Target Field
powerrankingsguru.com/mlb/strength-of-schedule.php
Yankees have the weakest schedule so far, twins have weakest remaining schedule. Mostly it’s august and September that are the cakewalks but it’s the easiest remaining. Twins were more in the mid to low strength of schedule but now they’ve moved to the bottom near the Yankees
Playing in a bandbox with no fans is not the right elements to elevate their game.
Yankees are 18-5 against the Rays and Red Sox and took 2 out of 3 against the Twins ! Considering they were swept by the Astros which we had a great opportunity to take 2 out of three there also, we have a pretty good record against the better teams in the league not to mention half of our stars injured along the way! You have to realize that every team slumps here and there its a long season
Good thing they can hit a slump because the rays are going to win the east while the yankees take the wildcard for the third straight year.
I seriously doubt the Rays win the AL East. They will penny pinch at the deadline if still in the hunt whereas both NY and Boston both have no qualms about going for it, has been proven time after time after time…
Rays have the 2nd best farm and saved money in the offseason to spend money mid season. Could see Hunter Renfroe to Tampa
And there’s nothing left for Boston to use to acquire anyone
Well said man….totally agree….the Rays just don’t spend any money but have found ways to continue to be just almost as good as both the Yankees and Red Sox.
When have the Rays given up a top prospect at the deadline before to improve the team? i can’t remember it ever happening and renfroe will require that plus more.
part of the reason TB has been to just 1 WS and lost it to a mediocre Phillies team. Penny pinching always comes 1st.
“and lost it to a mediocre Phillies team” Yo need a serious perspective adjustment johnsilver.
They dont need to penny pinch, McKay is literally better than most trade options out there.
Brendan McKay is nothing til he throws a major league pitch. He’s also never tossed more than 100 frames in a season and he’s at 62 right now. So I hate to break it to you but if he comes up it’s going to be as a reliever.
I doubt it pal
Maybe….like David Price back in 08. One point to remember is that the minors are using MLB quality baseballs this yr so the stats are more meaningful.
Yankees 2-4 against white sox, 1-2 Cleveland, 1-2 Detroit. Seems like the twins “easy” division is too hard for such a great team.
Let me repeat we’re in first place while half our team was injured
You’ve also played literally the mlb’s easiest schedule. And sometimes bringing players back doesn’t do what you might expect it to, whether it’s due to clubhouse chemistry, defensive changes, bad luck, whatever the case may be. Either way it doesn’t guarantee you’re going to run away with anything when those guys come back.
Who said anything about guarantee ? Ill give you a chance to reread my post but maybe you should think before you write
Lol. Well you’re sure implying that will be the case by replying the same thing every time someone doubts the Yankees. Take a breather and calm down.
“against the better teams in the league” – you are literally saying the best teams in the league are the same in May and September…..umm, thats not how baseball works…
Doesnt take a baseball savant to determine the Red Sox, Rays and Astros and Twins are amongst the better teams n the league … you dont agree with that ?
The Yankees are 10-2 vs Baltimore, no other teams in MLB have even played each other that much yet!!!
Care to wager? I have fan duel….
I see the Yanks making the Playoffs and Hopefully knocked out early so that we can all LAUGH!
I have them as the wildcard winner , the rays winning the east.
Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t make the playoffs at all.
I always laugh when the Yanks and Sox spend half a billion combined for the right to battle it out for a one game wildcard playoff.
Only one of those two teams has that distinction in recent years.
They never played each other in a 1 game wild card. So I guess you never laughed….meanwhile one of them will be laughing at you w their World Series title.
Never said they played each other in that wildcard game genius. The point was one of them typically gets the division and the other a 1 game WC playoff for their $200+ million payroll. If you don’t understand that then read it slower and/or have an adult try and explain it to you.
and to think, you could have sat back, enjoyed the yankees slander, and said nothing…now we all hate you
And the Indians spend nothing to be hot garbage
And yet that hot garbage took 2 of 3 from the Yankees…keep up the good work genius!
That hot garbage also lost their window very fast and have Rameriez and Kipnis unplayable. The Yankees were slumping at the time. Not an excuse but still matters. Cleveland won’t even make the playoffs even though they play in the worst division in baseball by far. Twins are the only good team. Cleveland front office:
Brantley- Don’t need him, who else can get out like Leonys Martin.
Signing Adam Jones: Naw, who needs to have this new-fangled outfield thing. Who else would we sign that the incredible CarGo can’t do
Trading Kluber or Bauer for an ACTUAL return: Naw, let’s have a great rotation and no offense
Trading Yandy for Bauers: Who needs offense when you can have poor preformance.
Trading away Gomes: who needs the playoffs when you can have money.
Depth signings: Who needs em? No pitcher has ever gotten hurt, right?
That’s what the FO is. A bunch of morons running around
And yet somehow when that hot garbage gets the WC game against your beloved Yankees for a fraction of the price I’ll take my chances with that hot garbage lineup. Nothing has gone right for Cleveland this season yet somehow just took series from the Yanks, RedSox and Twins with a depleted roster. BTW, a team with a limited budget can’t plunk down $18mil+ on a guy that can’t stay healthy, Perez is doing much better than Gomes and for the genius that says they should’ve traded pitchers and then also trade
for depth really makes sense, it was the same reason they didn’t make those trades moron!
PS: not everybody can be born into a dynasty and take credit for a couple dozen titles won before you knew what a baseball was and not everybody has a team with an unlimited payroll. Congrats champ, you’re the typical obnoxious NYY fan and reason so many people loathe them.
If the Cleveland front office had the money that the Yankees have being a large market, the Indians would be at least 10 games ahead of the Yankees.
I didn’t say to trade pitchers for depth, I said to trade pitchers to address the outfield and make depth signings. Brantley? He’s not hurt in Houston, nor was he hurt last year. And he is RAKING. Nothing has gone right for the Yankees or Ref Sox either. Other teams have bad luck and injuries. Sure you couldn’t have Rameriz to forget to hit fastballs (38wFB last year vs -7.7 wFB this year) but they had to have seen something, players don’t just become bad overnight. BTW Cleveland won’t even make the wild card, the Rays and Rangers can do that
They made depth deals which is why Gomes is gone, bringing a depth starter, good OF prospect, salary relief and a chance for Perez to play full time. Brantley is healthy today but with him there are no guarantees and the season is young yet. Again, not every team can spend like a drunken sailor on leave, some teams have to exercise fiscal responsibility and plunking down $18mil for a chronically injured player to then watch him pull up lame is not a good thing for a team with constraints. Not everybody can get out from a bad contract like the Yanks, Red Sox or Dodgers, more reason why MLB needs an actual salary cap, it works for every other sport. The well run teams will not miss a beat, but to break camp and know half the league has zero legitimate chance at a title is not a good recipe. Keep banking on the Yanks, Sox and Rays all making the playoffs, maybe you’ll realize that they play each a lot and will spread the Ls around to each other if all 3 are legit.
The Salary cap will destroy the sport. Free Agents would go unsigned because teams cannot find room. The Salary Cap only helps poor teams be worse. Imagine if the best teams now suddenly had to massively cut payroll. It wouldn’t work. And BTW the Indians make about $282 million a year. So the owner could down $275 on a great team and still make $7 million but no, they want to be rich and do whatever they what. And the Indians traded all of their depth signings like Maybin for Money, the owner’s priority. Just because you don’t want the owners to spend their money shouldn’t mean that other teams like the Yankees and Astros have to be munee hunger like the Indians. Teams like the Orioles could also spend, they just choose not to.
Make $275million a year in profit? Where on earth do you get your numbers? LOL! Just because a franchises worth goes up does not mean they make any money, some of these teams lose millions every year while the value of the franchise goes up but means nothing until they sell the team.
Again, a cap works in every other sport and the well run teams remain good for an extended period of time. Instead you get teams that have a very small window of opportunity to win anything and then blow it all up and repeat, see the champs in Miami or KC for that example; see the champs in Houston as an example of tanking it due to no salary cap or floor .
No, that’s due to a bad front office. KC chose not to trade its best players even though it was out of contention
And The cap prevents good teams from spending their profits
You laugh because you have a lame sense of humor ?
Do you have a bad tick?
Only if they get to play with the Orioles every game.
Still like Houston because of pitching as many others have said. A position I’m sure I’ll be reevaluating a bit after the trade deadline, as I think it’s incredibly likely the Yankees make a move for some starting pitching. None the less, Houston for now.
Not with that starting staff.
It would be sad if they lose it all with all these hitters.
The Yankees remind me of someone who just got there tax refund check and go into Costco and end up buying things that they really didn’t need. Encarnacion? Really? Yep….hitting has been a problem?…Check the mound. That’s where the problem is.
Man I can’t wait for the replies to this.
Geejohnny is correct. Yankees need pitching. They won’t win without it.
I think if you asked every front running team, they all would not turn down additional pitching help….adding another potent bat for the price the Yankees obtained EE for is a slam dunk…again, do you guys that comment ever watch games or do you just live in a virtual world of commenting?
Well you could either add pitching or keep outslugging the poor pitching you have. If you give up 8 runs but can get 9 or more then the pitching wasn’t so important after all. Plus the acquisition cost of EE was far less than a quality starter and they could use several.
He’s right about pitching but picking up another bat for nothing is not an issue. It’s neutral per se….Only if it precludes getting a legit top flight starter is it a problem
Encarnacion really doesn’t make the Yankees much better. Sure they will beat some teams by 10 runs instead of 5 now but they will still lose close games against quality pitching because they not the only team that can compete in a slugfest now and their rotation is soft.
You can only have 9 hitters in the lineup. When Judge and Stanton return either Voit or Encarnacion will be a bench bat. Maybe they’ll move Voit at the deadline but he’s producing at a low cost.
Seems pretty clear to me that Stanton would play LF and Hicks/Gardner in CF with Judge in RF. Giving EE ample abs in the DH slot. Maybe he doesn’t get 6 starts per week but I can easily see 4-5. But with the way in which they’ve suffered injuries this year it’s not unreasonable to think Cashman doesn’t believe all these guys will remain healthy. This move also blocked the Rays from adding EE which could’ve also been a consideration.
OMG. Be objective instead of hating…
They got an excellent hitter for next to nothing and in fact the Rays ( as savvy as they are ) are paying more of his salary than the Yanks ha plus the trade deadline isnt for another 6 weeks … I dont see the rush for a first place team IMO
They are the favorites at the moment under the assumption all those injured players return to full strength…certainly if they pick up another SP that would seal the deal.
They aren’t the favorite even if they come back full strength.
Just what the sport with declining viewership & attendance needed, yet another Red Sox/ Yankees championship…..
*Completely bored of that outcome*
Good pitching beats good hitting, continuing to add a .247 hitter for the Rays to strikeout 4 times in a game
And everyone knows that batting average is the most complete stat
And pop a dinger in that 5th AB…
Before the season, I said the Yankees would destroy its competition all the way through the WS. Since then, not just the crazy injuries effect the team, but the pen has not been the lights out version I expected. Still, with what try did with backups, it’s an awesome team. For now, it’s Astros then close behind Yankees. After the trade deadline, it may be different.
Edwin can mash and I have no problems with this trade (assuming the extra $$$ doesn’t impact a acquiring stud pitching- not lance Lynn pitching but stud pitching).
Honestly though without even looking, I am going to speculate that most of his dingers have come against non playoff teams and/or inferior pitching.
My guess- he will fit right in with Yankee sluggers and help get the team to October, but be easily mollified in October against the better pitchers/teams.
Conclusion- helps but not nearly enough to positively state he makes the Yankees the favorites.
They will be favourites to won the East but with that starting staff they will not be favourites to go deep.
No, the Astros are the best team in the AL.
I’m just grateful that Luhnow is my GM, rather than the writers and commenters here, all of whom are still fighting the last war.
Not until they get a stud October pitcher. Who’s available that plays his best in October????
I voted “no” because there was no “co-favorite” option. To my perception, too close to call between the Yankees and Astros, at this point.
Author must be an east coast/New England hack. The Astros at this point are clearly AL favorites right along with the Twins. He’s typically trying to rationalize Yankee “greatness. From a team that 11-11 vs team >.500. TB is the only team in the east with a winning record vs .500 teams! Most of the b-ball writers miss the scariest thing about the Astros. They are doing it without 3 all-stars. And 3 other starters. The depth and talent of the farm system is maintaining the excellence. This may be the most significant story to date in MLB. They have actually increased the winning percentage during these injuries. Yankees favorites?? Only in the kinds of Yankee fan.
“This may be the most significant story to date in MLB. ”
Astros braintrust, Luhnow et al.
1) WHAT exactly are they doing?
2) HOW are they doing it?
3) Is it replicable?
4) For how many years is this sustainable?
THAT is the most significant story in MLB.
They overachieved with everyone being hurt. which is a good thing. But now they are coming down to earth.
Why no.
Because most of their Sp cannot get past the 5th inning an issue the Yankees refuse to fix for the past umpteen years. It’s SP that wins games in the PS. A wicked 1-2 punch and if you have a wicked 1-2-3 punch consider yourself the favorites. They don’t even have a 1 punch so no they are not the favorties
Also when you keep running a 36 year old our in LF that cannot ht himself outta a paper page for the past 10 years and a post season average of .202 your not going any place.
Brett Garbage and half the SP needs to go. Until then same ol same ol nothing new here.
Fact!
Day after the NY Post labels the Yankees “Old and tired looking” they go and grab another tired old dude.
And that same writer applauded this move! Davidoff is…..
I think it’s fair to ask, who would you rather add to your roster mid season and who makes the bigger impact, Yordan Alvarez or Edwin Encarnacion? Obviously you would prefer Alvarez over the course of the next 6 years, but for the next 80+ games, who would you take?
The EE trade is fine. Nice pick up at a low cost. I think the Yankees could be the favorites it just depends how far they’re willing to go in prospects to add pitching.