The Yankees are already staring at a five-game deficit in the American League East following a dreadful 5-10 start, but with less than three weeks gone in the regular season, there is plenty of time to make up ground.
For the Yanks, the important part will be focusing on their own improvements and not the hole they have dug themselves in the opening weeks of the regular season.
“If you’re trying to make it more than just one game, I think that’s when yourself up to start pressing or putting more pressure on yourself than there needs to be,” Corey Kluber said before Tuesday’s game against the Braves. “We haven’t played the way we’d like to at this point, but if we try to make up for 15 games in a matter of one or two, it’s putting that much more pressure than just going out and playing good baseball on that day. If you take that approach consistently, I think it gets us back on the right track.”
The Bombers have obviously played well below their expectations early on, with a collectively slumping offense failing to bail out what has been a dreadful defense playing behind short-lived starting pitching outside of Gerrit Cole. The team has looked disjointed all around, even on the bases, but they remain convinced that their recent performance isn’t an accurate representation of what this team will look like by the end of the season.
“We still have a lot of confidence…every day is a new day to get better,” Gio Urshela said. “I know it’s been a tough start but I believe in my team and the talent we have. We’re ready to go.”
Those words will have to be backed up by action soon, before that early hole becomes even more of a chore to climb out of. Urshela and the Yanks got off to a rocky start in 2019 before winning 103 games, but nearly a month into the season, a bad start can become a bad season in a hurry. Urshela believes that won’t happen to this group.
“It’s not the first time we’ve been in this situation,” Urshela said. “I believe in every guy in the clubhouse and the talent we have. I know we’re going to do a better job.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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