Here’s the deal. The Yankees are struggling top to bottom in their lineup. Some places are calling out Volpe as not ready and Hicks for being a bum and finding resurgence in Baltimore.
But, I believe this is a hitting coaching problem that starts at the top of management. I’ll use Bolpe as an example.
He started sorting on a tear. Came up north with the team. Started decent, had the BBs to get on base and steal bases. Station to station, contact hitter, and barreling the ball hard. He didn’t strike out often.
The year had gone on, and his swing has changed. Look at some of the earlier at bats, and you’ll find a line drive swing, more level. Now look at it recently, and it’s upper cut swings. Like he’s trying to drive the ball out. He’s not a home run hitter per se. He came up to get on base. His patience is waning, and his strike outs are climbing.
It doesn’t end with him. This is a coaching problem. Full stop. Until they go back to fundamentals and reducing the swing angles, especially for those that shouldn’t be swinging for the fences, the stat lines across the lineup will continue downward.
That’s not what you paid for regardless of whether it’s safe. But I wouldn’t