The New York Yankees weren’t just beaten Tuesday night by the Detroit Tigers — they were utterly dismantled in every imaginable way.
A 12–2 loss is ugly enough, but when pitching collapses, at least offense can sometimes soften the blow. That never happened.
Pitching implodes, but hitting deserves equal blame
Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. were both hit hard, giving Detroit’s lineup endless opportunities to tack on crooked numbers.
But the spotlight shouldn’t solely shine on the pitching staff; the offensive struggles from the bottom of the lineup are glaring.
For weeks now, Anthony Volpe and Ryan McMahon have been automatic outs, offering nothing to extend rallies or create momentum.
When the bottom of the order repeatedly dies on contact, the pressure on the Yankees’ stars becomes almost unbearable night after night.
Anthony Volpe’s disastrous regression
Volpe’s struggles are reaching new levels of frustration, as he’s producing the worst offensive season of his young career.
On the year, Volpe is slashing .206/.268/.393 with an 80 wRC+, meaning he’s been 20% worse than league average.
September has been brutal — he’s struck out 11 times in just six games, five coming in his last two appearances.
That level of swing-and-miss erases any potential spark he might bring, leaving the Yankees stranded when opportunities present themselves.
Ryan McMahon’s freefall at the plate
McMahon hasn’t fared much better, struggling with strikeouts and failing to provide the consistency expected when he was acquired.
This month alone, he’s struck out nine times, with six of those coming across just his last two contests.
Overall, his .218/.317/.392 slash line leaves him below average, and his bat simply hasn’t justified his regular playing time.
The Yankees believed McMahon’s elite glove at third base would mask his offensive holes, but lately, even patience is wearing thin.
Boone’s looming decision on Volpe
Manager Aaron Boone continues to roll Volpe out there daily, hoping he can rediscover confidence before the season completely unravels.
But every game of poor production makes the decision to keep him in harder to justify, especially with October fast approaching.
Jose Caballero, while no offensive star, brings elite baserunning and steadier defense that could stabilize the bottom of the order.
At this point, Volpe’s presence feels more like a ghost haunting the lineup than a player capable of producing meaningful results.
A lineup imbalance too costly to ignore
When your top bats like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Cody Bellinger are asked to carry everything, cracks eventually show.
The Yankees cannot afford a lineup where two regular starters essentially function as dead weight game after game.
It’s the equivalent of running a marathon with ankle weights — the rest of the body can’t move fast enough to compensate.
If Boone continues waiting for a turnaround that never comes, New York risks squandering critical games in the playoff race.
The story feels written: Anthony Volpe isn’t turning it around this season, and Boone’s patience may already have cost the Yankees.
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