.jpg)
4 hours ago
1
•
The New York Yankees are off on Thursday and is currently in first place in the American League East with an impressive 18-13 record.
New York has dealt with some difficult injuries, like to Gerrit Cole, and some inconsistent performances, like from closer Devin Willians, but have been able to still shine. Things could always improve, but the Yankees are in the driver's seat right now.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller ranked New York as the No. 2 team in baseball so far but surprisingly called outfielder Cody Bellinger the team's "least valuable player" so far.
"No. 2. New York Yankees: Hard to believe this offense lost a generational superstar," Miller said. "MVP: Aaron Judge. Trent Grisham and Ben Rice have been the surprisingly potent contributors, but no one could possibly argue with this choice for team MVP. Judge is batting .405/.496/.703, leading the majors in all three departments, as well as hits (45) and RBI (28). Perhaps this is the year he gets the Triple Crown that narrowly eluded his grasp in both 2022 and 2024.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
"LVP: Cody Bellinger. It's truly astounding that teams are still pitching to Judge with Bellinger's .574 OPS directly behind him in the lineup on most nights. Teams used to walk Barry Bonds to pitch to Jeff Kent during the Hall of Fame-bound second baseman's six-year run with 175 home runs and a .903 OPS, but they're afraid Bellinger in his current state is going to make them pay for walking the best hitter in the world? Alrighty then."
Bellinger is in the second year of a three-year, $80 million contract and will be just fine. He hasn't had the greatest start to the season, but it's a marathon not a sprint.
More MLB: Yankees make Giancarlo Stanton announcement amid slugger's injury return
Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sportswriting across baseball, football and basketball. He has provided coverage for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Celtics throughout his career.
Outside of journalism, Patrick also has received a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Brandeis University and studied communication and business at Merrimack College where he earned his Bachelor's Degree.
English (US)