Bronx Bomber Ball

The Yankees’ month of August, so far, can be best described as -- you guessed it -- savage.   With 15 wins and just four losses on the month, they are 9.5 games ahead of their division rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays, in first place in the A.L. East.   They’re playing well over .500 are competing with the Astros for the first overall seed in the AL, which would clinch home-field advantage in the postseason.  Who are some of the surprise contributors?   Who still needs to get their heads in the game? Photo Credit: Newsday/Jim McIsaac

Photo Credit: 1980s Baseball

The designated hitter has distinguished the American League from the National League for as long as many current baseball fans (Gen Xers, Millennials and younger) can remember.   As such, today, it’s nearly unheard of for a pitcher to hit a home run, or to put up numbers on the offensive side with any regularity.   Those numbers sometimes come from the National League, and even on that side of MLB, it’s a rarity to see.   Generally, the pitcher isn’t going to be the player to make the big hit of the game. Photo Credit: The Spokesman Review

With the All-Star break in the rear view, the Yankees sit at a 57-31 record and hold a commanding 6.5 game lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East heading into the second half. Impressive play from the likes of DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, and a much-needed bounce back year from Gary Sanchez have helped them get there, but who will keep it going? As everyone knows, the Yankees have dealt with a handful of injuries that kept their top-tier players sidelined for a large portion of the season so far, and others who have struggled here and there. Setbacks lead to comebacks, making these guys perfect candidates for this list… Photo Credit: Julie Jacobson/AP

The Yankees put themselves in an interesting predicament, when they acquired two starting pitchers for essentially one spot before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The first move was to acquire LHP Jaimie Garcia from the Twins, who is a major upgrade over the fifth starters the Yankees have had to trot out, since it was discovered that Michael Pineda needed Tommy John Surgery. The second acquisition of RHP Sonny Gray successfully gave the Yankees another option at the front-end of the rotation and further improves a starting rotation that has great potential. However, the team now had six capable Major League starting pitchers for only five slots in the rotation. The Yankees decided to trot out a six-man rotation for one turn and then officially announced on Sunday night that rookie Jordan Montgomery would need to pack his bags and head to the Yankees Triple-A affiliate in Scranton. Photo Credit: NY Daily News When I received the notification on Sunday evening about Mont...

Well before the start of the 2017 season, the New York Yankees had many questions about their roster. Last season, a major strength of the Yankees was their bullpen. After some late season acquisitions (getting Adam Warren back, and trading for Tyler Clippard) the bullpen seemed to be rounding into form. After winning a World Series with the Cubs, Aroldis Chapman got his wish and resigned with the Yankees. The strength of this team remains the same, if a starter can get to the sixth or better yet the seventh inning, the game should be over. What about the rest of the team? The Yankees this season have a great mix of veteran talent, and youth. Unlike the last couple of seasons which have been tough to watch, through 13 games this team has a different buzz. Veterans such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Holliday and CC Sabathia are showing the kids what it takes to be in the majors, but you have to believe the kids are teaching the vets how to have fun and enjoy the game again. This is only a ...

Heading into the 2017 season, one of the strengths of this Yankee team, along with the youth movement and the back end of the bullpen, was the first base position. Greg Bird and Chris Carter were expected to make up a powerful, dynamic duo for the Bronx Bombers and hopefully revitalize first base for New York, one of the glaring weaknesses of last year's team. Photo Credit: Rich Schultz | AP

Who would have thought that in 2017 CC Sabathia would reclaim his former title as Yankees ace? That's right, nobody. Granted, it is still only mid-April so things will change as the season progresses, but there is no denying that Sabathia has been the Yankees best starter thus far. With Masahiro Tanaka struggling, Michael Pineda trying to move past the inconsistencies that have plagued his career (though he's had two straight great starts), and Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery establishing themselves as major leaguers, old reliable CC Sabathia has provided the Yankees starting staff with a much needed steady presence. In his three outings this season, Sabathia has gotten better each time. It appears that Sabathia has finally succeeded in his attempt to transform himself as a pitcher with diminishing velocity. If Sabathia can keep this up, Yankees fans might just be begging for him to return next season, albeit at a much lower salary than he's accustomed to earning. ...

The New York Yankees are in a stage that most fans have never witnessed. The “Evil Empire” that is known for going all out on opening their check books to lure in the respective year’s most coveted free agent is in the midst of a youth movement. The phrases “rebuilding” and “waving the white flag” have commonly been used to describe the overhaul that has been occurring over the past eight or so months. “Retooling” is the description that the Yankees’ front office has used to label their recent transactions. The team still consists of veterans who are being paid for their past contributions more so than their current ones, however, the Yankees are more reluctant than ever to give the kids in the farm system an opportunity to be significant contributors to the major-league club. One of these kids is rookie left handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Photo Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images

James Kaprielian has had a career with much success in the early going juxtaposed against crushing elbow injuries. This all started in 2016 in Single-A Tampa for Kaprielian when his season came to an abrupt end with elbow pain. He was later diagnosed with a right flexor tendon strain, and would not pitch until the Arizona Fall League. After making just two appearances between major and minor league Spring Training, his began experiencing elbow pain again, now getting to the point many Yankee fans feared was coming - Tommy John Surgery. So after building such a strong resume in the minor leagues, Kaprielian’s future has come into question just as quickly as he became a top prospect. Photo Credit: Presswire