Daily Report – 8/15/25
Here is today’s report:
Yankees
On Wednesday night, the Yankees failed to sweep the Minnesota Twins, losing 4-1. The All-Star righty Joe Ryan shut down the Yankees’ lineup, which could only muster four runs on five hits. The loss marked the Yankees’ first to Minnesota in 10 games.
The then 11-5 Joe Ryan and his 2.79 ERA were too much for the Yankees to handle. They have been inconsistent offensively against the league’s best pitchers. Recently, they were able to overcome Zack Wheeler, Hunter Brown, and Framber Valdez, but they didn’t win all those games because of their bullpen. In early August in Miami, Eury Pérez and Edward Cabrera shut them down. The next week, they were no match for Nathan Eovaldi or Jason Alexander.
In the game of baseball, a team is going to run into a hot pitcher now and then. Even a team with as good an offense as the New York Yankees’ will struggle sometimes. The issue with the Yankees – as has been the case for several seasons – is that when they run into a tough pitcher, their bats go silent for one simple reason: They focus too much on hitting home runs.
Home runs are spectacular. If a player hits one, it is the most effective way to score runs. If a player hits one. And not every Yankee is a home run hitter, even though the team leads the Majors in home runs. Although he has readjusted his swing angle, Anthony Volpe has struggled during his Yankees tenure largely because the Yankees have tried to make him a power hitter when he is not one. Also, Jazz Chisholm Jr. swings at every pitch he sees like he’s trying to go yard, but he has gone cold since the All-Star Break. He was selected to participate in the Home Run Derby, but he only hit three home runs there. Austin Wells was a great power hitter last season, but he continues to swing the bat the same way amid his disappointing season, even though he isn’t collecting hits. Perhaps a change in approach could benefit these hitters.
In my opinion, the biggest reason why teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers are so threatening is that they know how to score runs in different ways. They prioritize putting the ball in play over hitting it deep. This approach puts pressure on opposing pitchers, allowing teams to go on extended win streaks. This approach also demonstrates a clear sense of urgency among players that suggests winning is their top priority at all times.
The Yankees repeatedly get criticized for failing to demonstrate urgency because their style of play does not demonstrate urgency. It’s easy to blame manager Aaron Boone for this, but his players still need to look themselves in the mirror and find other strategies to improve their offense. If the Yankees continue to be this inconsistent offensively, they won’t be able to win a single playoff series, and that’s assuming they even make it to October.
Wednesday’s game didn’t start until 8:55 PM – nearly two hours after the scheduled start time – due to thunderstorms in the Bronx. If anything, this should have given the Yankees an advantage over Minnesota, since the Twins had to play a game the next day while the Yankees had the day off. Also, the Yankees saw Toronto, Boston, Cleveland, and Texas all lose before they played, which should have given them extra motivation to win. Instead, Aaron Boone said this: “I mean, when you lose, it sucks. […] We see it all, but it’s like if we want to catch those teams in theory or we want to get where we want to go, we gotta play well over an extended period. So, I don’t think we look at it like that.”
Does this response by the Yankees’ manager demonstrate urgency? At this point, I don’t even need to say it doesn’t. In addition to the answer itself, Boone used the term “in theory” to describe the possibility of the Yankees advancing in the American League standings. While the Yankees have struggled since mid-June, Boone has repeatedly claimed that if his team is in a playoff spot, they are satisfied. Not only are they 0.5 games away from losing their playoff spot, but they rank 6.5 games behind Toronto for the division lead. If they’re satisfied with that, then I assume they aren’t committed to winning a championship. But this attitude from Boone could explain a lot about why the Yankees have had one of the highest payrolls in baseball for years but haven’t won a championship since 2009.
Rookie righty Cam Schlittler got the start for the Yankees on Wednesday. After using an efficient 34 pitches to cruise through his first three innings, he faltered in the fourth inning. After Cody Bellinger put the Yankees ahead 1-0 in the third inning with a solo home run, Schlittler walked Trevor Larnach and gave up a double to Byron Buxton, putting runners at second and third without an out. Luke Keaschall then grounded out to second base, allowing Larnach to score and tie the game.
Schlittler improved in the fifth inning, but he didn’t return to pitch the sixth after throwing 86 pitches across five innings. “It felt like [Schlittler] really had to grin through the fourth and fifth there,” said Boone. “He set us up. Going into an off-day and with a rested-up [bullpen, I] felt like we could get there.”
Yerry De los Santos, who has been a reliable reliever for the Yankees this season, started the sixth inning, but he gave up singles to Byron Buxton and Luke Keaschall before Cody Clemens two-run doubled to center field to put Minnesota ahead 3-1. Aaron Boone received criticism for selecting De los Santos instead of Luke Weaver or Mark Leiter Jr. to pitch in that spot, but De los Santos has been reliable all season, and he was bound to break eventually. Also, the first two hits he allowed were infield singles. Buxton reached because Anthony Volpe missed his mark on a throw to first base, and Keaschall reached because Ryan McMahon couldn’t field in time. Also, two runs scored on Clemens’s double because Trent Grisham dropped the ball in center field while trying to field it.
“[De los Santos] got some weak contact there,” said Boone. “But then got into a deep count there with Clemens, who obviously changed the game.” Mark Leiter Jr. relieved De los Santos, and he induced two pop outs before Royce Lewis drove a 0-2 curveball to deep left field for an RBI double. The score was 4-1, Minnesota.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Anthony Volpe hustled to turn a single to left field into a double. Ryan McMahon grounded out to advance him to third base, where he stood with two outs as Austin Wells came in to hit against the lefty Kody Funderburk. Typically, the Yankees would have pinch-hit Paul Goldschmidt in that spot, who is dominant against lefties, but they couldn’t because, as Aaron Boone revealed after the game, he was nursing an injured knee. Luckily, Goldschmidt is expected to avoid the injured list as the Yankees visit his old stomping grounds this weekend.
Tonight, at 8:15, the Yankees visit the St. Louis Cardinals (YES). RHP Luis Gil (0-1, 7.27 ERA) will get the start against the righty Andre Pallante (6-9, 4.95 ERA). My connections in St. Louis have told me to expect the Cardinals to storm out of the gates against the Yankees. Despite their 61-61 record, they are good at beating top teams.
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
CF Trent Grisham (L)
C Ben Rice (L)
DH Aaron Judge (C) (R)
1B Cody Bellinger (L)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
SS Anthony Volpe (R)
LF Jasson Domínguez (S)
3B Ryan McMahon (L)
RF José Caballero (R)
SP: RHP Luis Gil (0-1, 7.27 ERA)
Tomorrow, at 7:15 PM on Baseball Night in America, LHP Max Fried (12-5, 2.94 ERA) will start against former Yankee RHP Sonny Gray (11-5, 4.06 ERA) (FOX). That will be a tough matchup for the Yankees.
On Sunday, at 2:15 PM, RHP Will Warren (7-5, 4.34 ERA) will toe the slab against RHP Miles Mikolas (6-9, 4.97 ERA) (YES).
Schedule
Tonight 8/15:
8:15 PM: NYY at STL; YES; SP: RHP Luis Gil (0-1, 7.27 ERA)
Saturday 8/16:
12:00 PM: All-Access Giants Training Camp; WNBC
2:00 PM: NYL at MIN; CBS
7:00 PM: 2025 NFL Preseason, Game 2 – NYJ at NYG; WNBC, WCBS
7:15 PM: Baseball Night in America – NYY at STL; FOX; SP: LHP Max Fried (12-5, 2.94 ERA)
Sunday 8/17:
2:15 PM: NYY at STL; YES; SP: RHP Will Warren (7-5, 4.34 ERA)
