N.Y. Yankees: The Red Sox Are Coming

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

BOSTON RED SOX

vs.

NEW YORK YANKEES

FROM

The House That George Built

BRONX

New York Yankees: One of the American League's top three teams is not like the others.

Back in April, I spent the weekend in Boston just after the Yankees/Red Sox melee at Fenway Park.  The Yankees left town with a 6-7 record, while the Red Sox improved to 10-2, en route to a franchise record 17-2 start.  Local TV and radio seemed to have little to no interest in the weekend series at hand against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.  Instead, gloating was order of the day.  One particular sports radio personality said (paraphrasing) the Yankees were playing asleep and their manager (Aaron Boone) had no pulse.  His on-air partner concurred.

They still have reason for gloating.  Since that series the Red Sox have for the most part held on to first place of the A.L. East, posting a 44-25 (.637) record and a 54-27 (.667) record overall.

However, I thought it ironic the Boston media would accuse Aaron Boone of not having a pulse considering the devastation he once wrought upon Red Sox Nation with his 2003 ALCS Game Seven winning home run off Tim Wakefield.

Yeah, Boone has a pulse.

But is he a good manager?

Without any prior coaching or managerial experience, no one knew what to expect from Boone.  The baseball season is half through and his team is engaged in a fierce battle for first place against the Red Sox.  Whatever his deficiencies, if any, there's nary a critic nor contrarian among the NYC media presently promulgating loud concern.  That's because winning trumps all.  And so for the moment the Yankees style and standing are his narrative.

On that note, the Bronx Bombers are wide awake and kicking, again.  They lead the American League with 127 home runs, and rate third in runs scored and total bases.  They too started playing at their own franchise record setting pace soon after that April series at Fenway, but not before rain poured down upon Detroit, cancelling three straight games against the Tigers.  Since then, they've gone 46-19 (.707), and enter this upcoming series at Bronx County Grounds with an overall record of 52-26 (.667) in four less games played than the Red Sox.

Otherwise, given custody of Brian Cashman's creation Aaron Boone's resume is still a work in progress.

Meanwhile, Alex Cora has no more MLB managerial experience than does Aaron, yet his fingerprints upon the Red Sox are far more distinguishable than those of Boone's upon the Yankees.  Lest we forget Cora last year served as bench coach for the World Series champion Houston Astros, and the numbers suggest he's incorporated much of what they do at the plate into the Red Sox offensive stratagem.

American League 2017 rankings:

• The Houston Astros under manager A.J. Hinch led the American League in team batting average and fewest strikeouts, and finished second in home runs.
• The New York Yankees under manager Joe Girardi led the league in home runs, finished third in team average, but finished with the sixth most strikeouts.
• The Red Sox under manager John Farrell struck out the fifth fewest times, but ranked ninth in team average, and last in home runs. 

American League 2018 rankings: prior to Thursday Boston/Anaheim game

• Red Sox are second to the Yankees in home runs.
• Red Sox and Astros are tied with A.L.'s top team batting average; the Yankees rate sixth. 
• Red Sox are second to the Astros with fewest strikeouts; Yankees 13th.
• Red Sox are second to the Astros in runs scored; Yankees third.  
• Red Sox are tops in total bases; Astros second, Yankees third.

If you torture numbers long enough, you can get them to say anything you want.  At the end of the day, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Houston Astros are the American League's top three contenders, with the Seattle Mariners a close fourth.

Winning the American League East title this season is all fine and well, but it's safe to say both the Yanks and Sox are on course towards making the playoffs.  After this weekend series, they do not meet again until September.  And so each will be blazing their own paths with little interference from the other.

If the mid-season point of this season is any indication, the Yankees appear to be a (very good) starting pitcher away from overtaking the Red Sox or Astros come October.  I'll assume the Yankees will most likely address this as the trade deadline looms closer.  Even then, a pitcher offers the Yankees little relief for their chronic condition.  They need to cut down on those strikeouts.  It damn near cost them last year's ALDS series against the Cleveland Indians.  In turn, Houston's plate discipline helped earn the Astros a World Series title.

It's still difficult for me deciphering exactly what Aaron Boone brings to the Yankees.  But it has become clearly evident what Alex Cora brings to Boston.  This is precisely why it appears as if this year's Red Sox are in closer competition with the Astros than are the Yankees.


*written prior to Thursday Boston/Anaheim game.