New York Yankees: All-Star Break Player Grades

The Yankees have been an enormous failure. I'll rate and grade each individual Yankee and break down just how much the Yankees have disappointed.

Aaron Judge's All-Star season is one of the few bright spots of the first half

Gary Sanchez (Catcher) - B+

After an abysmal 2020, Sanchez's struggles initially continued. At the end of April, he was hitting .190 with a .639 OPS and a wRC+ below 100. He was demoted to backup duties as Kyle Higashioka began to see more time as the starting catcher. Let's not fool ourselves. This year has not been perfect for Sanchez. He's had ups and downs and his defense isn't perfect by any stretch. But let's give credit where credit is due. Sanchez completely turned his season around, posting a 1.035 OPS in the month of June. His extended hot stretch threw his name into All-Star discussions and as it stands, he has respectable numbers. The lineup looks so much better when you can put Gary in the 3-hole. He'll need to continue to perform if he wishes to regain the organization's full trust, but this unexpected comeback has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise disappointing first half.

Kyle Higashioaka (Catcher) - C+

Higgy has managed to be a pretty major storyline this year. Between his stint as the starting catcher and his role as Gerrit Cole's personal catcher, Higgy has played a major part in this season. Sanchez's early struggles led to more playing time and more at bats for the backup catcher. Unfortunately, that didn't translate to success. Higashioka's subpar offense was thrown into the spotlight for the first time in his career. After an early offensive explosion, fans clamored for Higashioka to be the starter of the future. A regression to the mean has silenced those requests. Higgy's defense is still great and he seems to have a great relationship with Cole, but it's been disappointing to see he's not the offensive player many fans believed him to be.

Luke Voit (1B) - C

The injuries are not Luke's fault by any stretch, but it's tough to give him a good grade when he's missed so much time. Voit's only played 29 games, and he hasn't been particularly memorable when he has played. There aren't really any Luke Voit moments that come to mind besides his walk off hit against the Royals. He's nowhere near his 2020 self or even his 2019 self, and injuries play a large part in that. With more consistent at-bats, we might see a resurgence in the second half, but as of now, Voit's been a non-factor.

DJ LeMahieu (2B) - B-

LeMahieu's numbers aren't terrible. A .270 batting average with a .718 OPS is by no means a terrible season. But compared to what we've seen in his first two years as a Yankee, this is a massive drop off. LeMahieu really hasn't looked right all year. He get's a B- because of how valuable his health and versatility has been. LeMahieu has been a plus defender at second, third, and first. Combine that with the fact he's stayed healthy and remained a constant at the top of the lineup and it's hard to argue we would be better off without him. We'd love to see the offense get back to what we're used to, but LeMahieu has still been a crucial part of this team so far.

Rougned Odor (2B) - C-

A recent hot streak saves Odor from getting a D. His All-Star break numbers aren't horrific. No complaints about 9 home runs and a .715 OPS from a guy we basically got for free. Still, his .291 OBP is pretty horrendous. Batting average may not matter anymore but OBP still does. Odor has hit some clutch home runs and he's embraced being a clubhouse guy. While I wouldn't put him in the same tier as Cameron Maybin, his presence has been beneficial. Odor should not be the long term fix, and if the Yankees can improve their infield depth, they should leap at the opportunity to do so.

Tyler Wade (2B) - B-

I know what you're thinking. How the hell did Tyler Wade get the same grade as DJ LeMahieu. They're stats aren't even close. This one's about expectations. It would be great if Tyler Wade could become a legitimate offensive threat. So far in his MLB career, he just hasn't been that guy. Wade is on this team for his speed and his ability to play good infield and outfield defense. Wade's sprint speed is Top 3% in the league, and he's been a pretty good base runner. In a year of absymal Yankee base running, Wade has been one of the few reliable guys that can actually take the extra base and make things happen. He's done a solid job as a backup center fielder and he's even good for an infield single every once in a while. It's been a disappointing first half for many Yankees, and I'd argue Wade is one of few that is actually exceeding expectations.

Gleyber Torres (SS) - D

It's been a rough first half for Gleyber. He's seemingly lost his power that resulted in 38 home runs in 2019 and his defense has been suspect at times. I do think that we sometimes make too much of Gleyber's defense. There have been stretches where Gleyber is consistently good. It just so happens that when he's bad, it looks really bad. The stats back that up too, as he currently has -5 Outs Above Average. The below average defense would be easier to stomach if he was hitting like the player we saw in his first two seasons. It's tough to find any positive offensive numbers. His wRC+ is 82, making him 18% worse than league average. His OPS currently sits at .634, he's barely slugging above .300, and he's not getting on base at a great rate. I do believe that the 2019 Gleyber is still in there. He still has the talent to be one of the league's best young ballplayers. We just haven't seen much of that so far.

Gio Urshela (3B) - A

Where would we be without Gio Urshela? There is a lot to complain about with this Yankee team, but you'd be hard strapped to find anything to complain about with Gio. He's been a wizard with the glove at third and he's been a solid hitter all year. His .756 OPS and .441 slugging are down from his first two Yankee seasons, but beggars can't exactly be choosers. He's still been one of our better hits, and he's far and away been our best defender. The defensive metrics are finally starting to support that Gio is an elite defender, so we can only hope a Gold Glove is in his future. Above all else, Gio looks like he's having fun. And if Gio's smile doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, you need help.

Miguel Andujar (LF) - B-

Left field has been a weird position for the Yankees. Oddly enough, the guy that's played the best is the one who isn't an outfielder. While still a good ways away from the doubles machine we knew in 2018, Andujar's comeback does have a feel-good nature about it. After losing his starting third baseman role to Gio Urshela, we haven't seen much of Andujar, who has battled injuries since 2019. He currently leads all Yankee left fielders with a .667 OPS and a .253 batting average. Let's be clear. There's not a single Yankee left fielder with a wRC+ anywhere close to 100, so take it all with a grain of salt. Andujar has struggled defensively, but that's to be expected from someone who literally isn't an outfielder. It's good to see Andujar back and playing again. Hopefully, the extended reps help revert him to the guy who finished 2nd in AL ROY voting.

Clint Frazier (LF) - D

Clint has been one of the most disappointing players and it's really a shame. After getting the call once again in 2020, Clint seized the opportunity, finishing the year with a .905 OPS. Frazier's extended success in the 60 game season prompted Aaron Boone to name him the Starting Left Fielder for the 2021 season. Frazier just hasn't been the same. Despite his elite bat speed, Clint has struggled to connect with the fastball. His offensive struggles have yet to be corrected. At All-Star break, he's hitting .186 with a .633 OPS and a wRC+ 17% worse than league average. His fielding has become a controversial topic as well. He's made some exceptional diving catches, but advanced metrics show they wouldn't all be diving catches if he took better routes. Defensive metric-wise, he's one of the worst outfielders in the game. It sucks to see a player with exceptional talent struggle for an extended period of time. A 2nd half comeback could both turn around the Yankees' season and save his own career with the pinstripes.

Tim LoCastro (LF) - B+

We haven't seen too much of the recently acquired Locastro, but what we have seen has been great. Certain fans were excited to see he ranked 2nd in MLB sprint speed, while others lamented acquiring another fast guy that couldn't hit. LoCastro has answered by both running fast and hitting pretty well too. It's refreshing to see a guy with lights out speed and he's made some pretty good plays in the outfield. He bopped a home run in the final game of the Houston series so here's hoping for some continued offensive success. Yes, it's a small sample size, but can you blame us? We love us some TLo.

Brett Gardner (CF) - C+

It's safe to say this has been the worst season in the 37-year-old's career. Let's be blunt. The numbers aren't good. But we have to look at the situation realistically. Gardner was supposed to be our 4th outfielder. He was supposed to come in as a defensive replacement with a spot start here and there. An Aaron Hicks injury thrust Gardner into being the starting center fielder. We have to give credit where credit is due. Gardner has stayed healthy and played the position exceptionally well. As the Talkin' Yanks guys say, a piano could fall on Brett Gardner and he'd still be the starting center fielder. I love Gardy but a .194 batting average with a .614 OPS is tough to swallow. He continues to play great defense and his speed is a plus so it's really not all bad. Still, if the Yankees want to make the playoffs, they probably need to find a new center fielder.

Aaron Judge (RF) - A+

Aaron Judge has really been the one guy you just can't criticize. The biggest ask for 99 this season was to stay healthy. He has and it's paid off. With an OPS and wRC+ Top 10 in the AL, Judge was named the Starting Right Fielder for the All-Star Game. And really every number looks good. A .901 OPS, .526 slugging, 147 wRC+, and for old school fans, a respectable batting average at .282. It doesn't look like it will be a 52 home run season, but Judge has 21 bombs so the power has been good. He's even managed to cut down on the strikeouts. One of the biggest criticisms about Judge's game, his K% has dropped out of the Top 30, below names like Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez. His defense, as always, has been great. Most importantly, he's played in 84 of the team's 89 games, 2nd most on the team behind DJ. No complaints at all.

Giancarlo Stanton (DH) - B+

Like him or not, we'd been in a much worse spot this season without Giancarlo Stanton. His 134 wRC+ and .848 OPS are both second on the team. From an objective standpoint, he's the only hitter on the roster besides Judge that has good numbers. We're a couple months removed from that hot streak where G was the best hitter in baseball. Still, besides some rough patches here and there, he's hit consistently and has managed to stay healthy for most of the year. There's hope that by late July, he'll be able to play some outfield, opening up the DH spot for other players. You can complain about Stanton all you want, but he's been far from the biggest problem the Yankees have. I'd argue that without him, we wouldn't even be a .500 ballclub.

Gerrit Cole (SP) - A-

A lot has been made out of Gerrit Cole and his reliance on foreign substances. It's no secret his numbers haven't been as good since the ban came down on the use of said substances. Still, his All-Star break numbers are pretty good. Among pitchers, his 3.3 WAR ranks 8th in the MLB and 2nd in the AL. I'm not gonna sit here and complain about a 2.68 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. We'll see if he can build off of that 129 pitch gem against Houston and turn it into a great second half. I still believe Cole is an elite pitcher, and I think he'll show that down the stretch.

Jordan Montgomery (SP) - C+

It's been a while since Montgomery has looked really sharp. He's really good at getting ahead in the count but has not found a consistent putaway pitch. Monty has allowed 3 or more ER in 12 of his 18 starts. Sometimes statistics don't tell the full story, but his 1.23 WHIP and 4.16 ERA matches the eye test. Montygomery struggles to pitch clean innings and that often comes back to bite him. There's certainly some promise with Jordan. He's got 5 pitches he can go to, and while none of them are elite, they are all very solid. Perhaps his greatest success is his ability to pitch deep into games, even if he doesn't have his best stuff. He's pitched into the 6th inning in half of his starts and has only failed to reach the 5th inning once. If Monty can cut down on the walks and get some run support, he could put together a productive second half.

Jameson Taillon (SP) - C-

It's an inspiring story that Taillon is back and pitching in the MLB. Still, the Yankees expected a bit more out of him, and up to this point, Taillon has been the weakest part of the rotation. His fastball looks sharp as ever, but his inability to have a consistent breaking pitch has allowed hitters to tee off on Jamo's fastball. There's a reason he ranks last in ERA and WHIP among Yankee starters. With all that said, no one expected a guy that hasn't pitched in 2 years to find his groove again in the first month. He's toiled through these first few months, but there's some optimism about his second half. In his last 4 starts heading into the All-Star break, Taillon pitched into the 6th inning and allowed 2 or less runs in 3 of the 4 starts. After a particularly good start against Houston, he's got some good momentum to build upon.

Domingo German (SP) - C

There was a stretch where German was the second best starter on the team. That is no longer the case. German's season got derailed in June when he pitched to a 7.27 ERA. We're kind of in limbo with him now. An emergency root canal and weird scheduling has led to Domingo being used in relief just so that he can see live hitting. When his stuff is right, he can be a legitimate number 2 in this rotation. For now, the Yankees will hope that the second half brings them the Domingo that pitched to a 2.40 ERA in May.

Corey Kluber (SP) - B

What we've seen of Kluber has been great. He pitched to a 3.04 ERA in his 53.1 innings and threw the first Yankee no-hitter since 1999. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder strain in his first start after the no-no and we haven't seen him since. It's not the biggest sample size, but Kluber looked really good through the first 2 months. His breaking ball was as sharp as its ever been and his sinker had the late movement that made him a nightmare with Cleveland. There were questions about his control as he didn't seem to be as accurate as his Cy Young days. Still, the Yankees would happily take what they got from Kluber. If he can return in August, it would be a huge help for the struggling rotation.

Michael King (SP/RP) - A

King has been a pleasant surprise this year. He was great coming out of the bullpen and then slid into the rotation after Kluber's injury. He's clearly better from the pen and he's had his fair share of first inning struggles as a starter, but we can't complain. The ERA tells the story. King has a 1.90 ERA as a reliever and a 5.47 ERA as a starter. He's shined as a innings-eater in relief and has legitimately been one of the most trustworthy relievers. He'll start when the Yankees need him, but it's clearly in both parties interests to let him feast in the pen.

Nestor Cortes (SP/RP) - A+

Nestor has been everything the Yankees could've asked for and more. On June 19, the Yankees sent out Nestor in relief to face the Oakland Athletics with the based loaded and 0 outs. He got out of the inning without allowing a run and finished his day with 3 scoreless innings. Since then, he's been nothing short of elite. Nestor appeared as a starter against the Mets and the Astros, and his success has led fans to don him "the real ace of New York". His 1.05 ERA is technically the best ERA in New York, so take that DeGrom. All jokes aside, we can't say enough about what Nestor has done. He didn't start the year on the 26 man roster and he was not expected to do much besides eat up garbage time innings. He's now become one of the most important pitchers on the team, and his unique, ever-changing pitching style has captured the hearts of Yankee fans ever. We love you Nestor. A+++++.

Nasty Nestor, the best pitcher of all time

Aroldis Chapman (CP) - B-

It would be very easy to give Chapman an F for the way he's pitched as of late. The numbers are not great. Since June 1, he has a 13.03 ERA and those numbers get even worse the further you get into June. What makes this collapse so surprising is how well he pitched in the first 2 months of the season. Chapman was the best closer in baseball at the start of the season, and he didn't allow an ER for over a month. On May 25, he had a 0.47 ERA. That ERA now stands at 4.55. Chapman has struggled with accuracy of late. His inability to throw his fastball for strikes prevented him from throwing his splitter, which works off his fastball and is most effective when his fastball is in the zone. Chapman became very reliant on his slider, which becomes a hittable pitch when the fastball isn't a threat. If Chapman can locate the fastball, he will be one of the best closers in baseball. He's still hitting 100 on the gun and his splitter has some serious break. It's been a rough stretch, but don't give up on him just yet.

Jonathan Loasiga (RP) - A+

The Yankees have been trying to make Loasiga a late-inning guy for a couple of years now, but it never really worked. Until this season. The Yankees finally gave him consistent looks in high leverage spots, and he has thrived. He leads Yankee relievers with a 1.6 WAR and his 2.11 ERA is second behind Nestor. Nicknamed Johnny Lasagna, the right hander has been dominant with his 2-seamer and has found himself right at the top of Aaron Boone's trust tree. Many players will look to improve in their second half, but if Lasa can replicate this first half, the Yankees will be ecstatic.

Chad Green (RP) - A-

The unfortunate nature of being a reliever is that you're always remembered for your failures. Mariano will always be the greatest closer of all time, but people still talk about his blown save in Game 7. Chad has put together a very good 2021 season, but he's allowed two very big home runs to Jose Altuve. While we can't just forget those home runs, it would be a flat-out lie to say that he hasn't been extremely productive. His 0.79 WHIP leads the Yankee pen and his 2.89 ERA is a clear win in my book. He's got a dominant fastball and a strong curve that make him a lights out set-up man, and we can't say enough about his ability to pitch multiple innings. He's stepped into the closer role during Chapman's struggles, and he's been a key piece of the pen all year. You could find better things to do than complain about Chad, especially on this team.

Lucas Luetge (RP) - B

For a guy that hasn't pitched since 2015, Luetge has been pretty good. By no means a dominant reliever, he's been productive by pitching multiple innings in relief to pretty good success. A 3.35 ERA is more than acceptable from a middle relief type. He's had his share of struggles of late, but he's certainly surpassed expectations.

Luis Cessa (RP) - B

Cessa has settled into his role as a 5th-6th inning guy and an innings-eater very nicely. In 36 innings, he's pitched to a very productive 3.00 ERA. As a former starter, he brings value as a guy that can go deep if the starter gets knocked out early, and he's even good for the occasional late-game appearance. Nothing elite here, but he does his job and does it well.

Wandy Peralta (RP) - D-

Wandy is in a tough spot with fans. The Yankees got rid of fan-favorite Mike Tauchman in exchange for the lefty reliever. If he wasn't lights out, there was going to be some resentment towards him. Wandy has struggled mightily, pitching to a 5.19 ERA. He just hasn't been good and it almost feels like whenever he comes in, we're punting the game. With other lefties Nestor Cortes and Lucas Luetge pitching well and Britton returning after All-Star break, it doesn't look like there's a huge need for Wandy.

Darren O'Day (RP) - C

O'Day's grade is purely because of availability. His 10.2 IP is third lowest among Yankee relievers. I'm a fan of the veteran sidewinder and he's been pretty solid when he's pitched, but he just hasn't been healthy. Between a shoulder injury and a hamstring strain, O'Day has been plagued by injuries all season. You need your relievers to be available and O'Day, through no fault of his own, just hasn't. I'd love to see him stay healthy and get some looks in the pen, because I still believe he has a lot to offer.

Justin Wilson (RP) - F

Justin Wilson sucks. At least he does this year. He had some really good seasons with the Mets that gave me hope, but he's been the single worst reliever on the team. An 8.59 ERA on the season doesn't even depict how bad he's been. I don't want to spend too much time on this. Let's end with a game called "What is Justin Wilson's ERA since June". You win the game if you say 33.75.

Nick Nelson (RP) - F

The Yankees refuse to give up on Nick Nelson and it's painful to watch. Look, I get it. On paper, he should be good. His fastball has some real velocity to it. The unfortunate reality is he can't locate for his life, so he just gets tagged whenever he pitches. That's only like kind of a joke. Nick Nelson gets rocked all the time, no matter what role the Yankees put him in. Whether it's as an opener, long relief, or garbage time innings, Nelson comes in and lets up runs. Don't believe me? His ERA is 9.95, even higher than Justin Wilson's. I'm not saying you have to release the kid. If he can develop control, he'll be a decent pitcher. But for the love of GOD, don't bring him up to the majors again. He's just not ready.

Zach Britton (RP) - Non-Factor

There's not much to grade here. At 4.1, he has the lowest innings pitched on the team. Injuries basically made him a non-factor in the first half. We know that when he's healthy, he's basically a second closer. Here's hoping he can stay healthy in the second half, and we get to watch his bowling ball sinker make hitters look silly.

The Yankees: First Half Review - D

I don't know if you could tell by the tone of these grades, but it hasn't been a great season. The Yankees are just 3 games over .500 at All-Star break. They're 8 back behind the rival Red Sox and 4.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot. The offense has struggled through large stretches of the season. The starting pitching was really good for a stretch, but that reverted back to the mean, leaving the Yankees as a painfully average ballclub. Factor in their bullpen issues and you have a crisis on 3 fronts. The Yankees will need to mount an impressive turnaround if they want to make the playoffs and rewrite the story of this season. I'm a diehard fan and I'll watch no matter what, and even I'm hesitant to believe this team can pull a 180 and change their season. I beg to everything good and holy that they prove me wrong.

Note: All stats and grades are as of July 14 (All-Star break).