NFL
By Billy Lewis:
The New York Yankees entered the All-Star break in second place in the AL East, two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite being in first place for 100 days during the first half, the Yankees struggled towards the end.
On June 30th, they entered Toronto in first place, two games ahead of the Blue Jays. They met for a four-game series, and when it was over, the Blue Jays found themselves in first place by two games after sweeping the Bombers.
The New York Yankees played well for the majority of the first half. However, two separate six-game losing streaks have seen the Yankees in second place. What is concerning is their record against AL East opponents, which stands at 10-16.
New York Yankees Second Half
The MLB All-Star festivities took place in Atlanta. The Yankees will start their second half in the same spot with a three-game set against the Braves starting Friday night. After Atlanta, they’ll have a chance to get revenge with the Blue Jays.
The AL East is a tight race, with the Yankees and Red Sox within three games of the Jays, and Tampa hanging around just 5.5 games back. It would behoove the Yankees to correct their first-half struggles, especially against both the Jays and Sox, where they are only a combined 3-10.
Aaron Judge, of course, led the way for the Yankees in the first half. Judge will be on triple crown watch during the second half. He enters the second half leading in batting average and is behind Cal Raleigh in both home runs (38-35) and RBIs (82-81).
New York Yankees Trade Deadline Targets
The Yankees should be active in the trade market. They could especially use an upgrade at third base and some bullpen help. Eugenio Suarez of the Diamondbacks is a name that has been linked to the Yankees. Suarez currently has 31 home runs and would certainly add much-needed power to the third base position.
2024 rookie of the year, Luis Gil, should make his 2025 debut early in the second half. Gil should help bolster the starting rotation, but with Clarke Schmidt needing Tommy John surgery, Brian Cashman could still be in the market for another starter.
All in all, the Yankees had an okay first half. With some tweaks, the Yankees could once again find themselves ready to play late into October.
