The New York Yankees have hit a new low. They have lost seven consecutive games following their 6-2, extra-innings loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.
During this seven-game stretch, the Yankees’ offense has been historically anemic. Throughout this dreadful losing streak, the Yankees are batting .137, have struck out 71 times, and have scored 2.4 runs per game. As a result of the Yankees playing lifeless baseball, they now trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 3.5 games for first place in the American League East.
How do the Yankees snap out of this major funk and reassert themselves atop the American League East?
Clean Up the Defense: The Yankees have not played fundamentally sound baseball since this losing streak first began. Over the past seven games, the Yankees have given up 17 unearned runs. Yes, 17. To get back on track, the Yankees have to stop giving away outs and stop literally handing runs to other teams.
They will have both Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon back the next time they take the field on Friday night against the Minnesota Twins. McMahon is one of the better defenders at third base in Major League Baseball, so he will be a clear defensive upgrade over either Amed Rosario or Oswaldo Cabrera. Grisham is a solid defensive center fielder, and he should provide stability at a position that has been a revolving door ever since he hit the injured list on June 13.
Get Rice and Bellinger going: Without Aaron Judge in the lineup, the Yankees need Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger to be at their best, and over this awful seven-game run, they are both in major slumps. Ben Rice: 2-for-25, .080 AVG, .348 OPS. Cody Bellinger: 1-for-23, .043 AVG, .163 OPS.
Overall, Rice and Bellinger have both had awesome 2026 campaigns for the Yankees. Simply put, if the Yankees want to get back in the win column, they both need to play like their best selves moving forward.
Getting Trent Grisham Back: The Yankees will get Trent Grisham back on Friday night as they open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium against the Twins. From May 1 to June 13 (the day Grisham was placed on the IL), Grisham batted .290 with an .847 OPS in 150 plate appearances. Getting Trent
Grisham back in the lineup will provide this currently abysmal Yankees offense with a boost.
Even without one of the greatest hitters of all time in Aaron Judge, the Yankees are too talented to be playing this poorly. For the Yankees to climb back to the top of the AL East, they need to clean up their defense, get Rice and Bellinger going and have Trent Grisham make an immediate impact upon his return from the injured list.
