Quarterly Review: Yankees .500 Team

Like it or not, the best way to describe the New York Yankees at the quarter mark of the season is as a .500 team. The team is 19-20 entering tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays and have hovered around the .500 mark all season.

Injuries have certainly hampered the team. First Derek Jeter missed 6 games with a strained quadricep muscle, then Jorge Posada's arm issues, followed by Alex Rodriguez's quad injury. The Yankees have had an All-Star team on the shelf. But worse than these problems have been the starting pitching and lack of consistency in their offense.

Mike Mussina started the season terribly as did Phil Hughes (another injured Yankee) and Ian Kennedy. Mussina was able to rebound and looks as though he will be serviceable but Hughes ended up on the DL while Kennedy has been optioned to the minors then recalled.

The lineup has been a bit of a Jeckle and Hyde. One night they get 15 hits and score 7 runs, the next they get 6 hits and score 2. There has been no consistency and while losing A-Rod and Jorge certainly has something to do with it, there are many other capable former All-Stars that should be carrying this team during their absence. The bottom line is, they are not. in addition, Jason Giambi is batting .177 while Robinson Cano is hitting .188 as they race for the goal of being the first to cross the Mendoza line. Nothing to be proud of in mid May.

Things have not been all bad though. Hideki Matsui has been awesome. Chien-Ming Wang took the mantle of being the opening day pitcher and has run with it being nearly unbeatable and posting a 6-1 record. And what more can you say about Mariano Rivera. He continues to be simply the best. Mo has only given up 6 hits in 15 innings while striking out 12 and walking none. He has yet to give up an earned run and is 10 for 10 in save opportunities.

The question is where does this season lead? The good news is that with all of the injuries, young pitchers struggling, and offensive inconsistencies, the Yankees have managed to stay in eye shot of the division lead. They are only 4 games out of first place although there are 3 teams in front of them.

The other good news is that although he will miss a little more time than originally anticipated, A-Rod should be back with the team and healthy next week. Jorge Posada could return June 1st although that is an optimistic statement. Cano and Giambi seem to be swinging the bats better and their production with the return of Alex and Jorge should restore the lineup to being the most feared in the league.

The question coming up seems to be the same question the Yankees had coming into the year. Just now the question mark is bigger. Pitching, pitching, pitching. The bullpen has been good especially when you consider Chamberlain and Rivera but the starters have been a whole different story.

Will Mike Mussina continue to pitch well or is he just on a hot streak? Can Ian Kennedy find himself after being recalled from the minors. Will Phil Hughes return healthy and how well will he pitch? Will the Yankees make a trade or signing and bring a Greg Maddux, David Wells, or another outside source to stabilize the rotation?

The rest of the season is a mystery but the good news is the Yankees are still in the thick of the race in the A.L. East. Let's hope they pull it together and our next quarterly review will be much better!