The Most Powerful Team You Can’t Figure Out: The Yankees Conundrum

The 2025 New York Yankees are on the verge of history. With just over a month to play, two Anthony Volpe home runs, two Austin Wells home runs, two Ryan McMahon* home runs, and three Giancarlo Stanton home runs would make them the first team in MLB history to roster nine different players with 20+ home run seasons.

(*McMahon hit his first 16 bombs with Colorado before being dealt at the deadline.)

Even if you don’t count McMahon, New York would join the 2019 Minnesota Twins, the “Bomba Squad”, as the only teams ever with eight 20-homer hitters. That’s rare air.

Those Twins are tied with the 2023 Braves for the single-season home run record (307). This Yankees team won’t reach that level, but if Stanton hadn’t missed half the season, Aaron Judge hadn’t been sidelined for 10 games, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. didn’t miss 32 games, maybe we’d be talking about it.

Still, New York leads baseball in long balls and is pacing for 270–280, which would land them among the top six single-season totals of all time. It speaks to the depth and balance of their lineup.

Power Everywhere

Through 133 games, the Yankees’ home run leaderboard looks like something out of a video game:

• Aaron Judge: 41 HR in 123 games
  
• Trent Grisham: 26 HR in 116 games
  
• Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 25 HR in 101 games
  
• Cody Bellinger: 25 HR in 123 games
  
• Ben Rice: 22 HR in 112 games
  
• Ryan McMahon: 18 HR in 128 games (2 with NYY)
  
• Austin Wells: 18 HR in 103 games
  
• Anthony Volpe: 18 HR in 131 games
  
• Giancarlo Stanton: 17 HR in 51 games
  
• Jasson Domínguez: 10 HR in 108 games
  
• Paul Goldschmidt: 10 HR in 122 games
  

This lineup has already authored two nine-homer games this season (March 29 vs. Milwaukee, August 19 vs. Tampa Bay), which fell one short of the record: the Blue Jays’ hit 10 in a game back in 1987.

Collectively, the Yankees lead MLB in home runs (225) and slugging percentage (.456) while ranking second in runs scored (692). Their team OPS (.787) also tops baseball by a wide margin. 

Six everyday players carry an OPS north of .800 — Judge (1.107), Stanton (1.051), Ben Rice (.839), Bellinger (.832), Grisham (.825), and Chisholm (.823). On the road, they’ve been even better: a .792 OPS that would mark the best road figure since 2023.

Not to mention, they lead the American League in run differential and trail only the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in all of baseball. 

And yet… they’re in third place in the AL East.

Why Third Place?

Despite all that thump, New York trails both Boston and Toronto in the standings. The Yankees currently hold the second wild card, which feels underwhelming given their firepower.

A big part of the problem is situational hitting. When ahead, the Yankees mash, hitting .267 with an .821 OPS. But when trailing, they plummet to .238 with a .734 OPS. In late-and-close situations, the numbers get uglier: a .196 batting average (29th in MLB) and a .650 OPS (21st).

With runners in scoring position, they’re middle-of-the-pack (.246 AVG, .761 OPS). With two outs and RISP, they’ve been downright bad: 26th in average (.209) and 20th in OPS (.678).

Against Boston in particular, their struggles are glaring. In head-to-head play, New York is slashing just .215/.284/.350. That’s one reason the Red Sox are ahead of them in the division.

Defensive and Pitching Flaws

It’s not just clutch hitting that’s holding them back.

Defensively, the Yankees have been below-average. Their infield defense has produced exactly zero defensive runs saved, with catcher and first base combining for -7. Statcast’s Outs Above Average pegs them at -8 (20th in MLB).

On the mound, things are equally murky. Without Gerrit Cole, the rotation is anchored by lefties Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, who’ve been great but can’t put the staff on their back. Behind them, it’s a carousel of up-and-down young arms with limited track records.

The bullpen was supposed to be a strength after adding Devin Williams in the offseason and David Bednar and Camilo Doval at the deadline. Instead, the group has posted a 4.32 ERA, 23rd in baseball. Too often, leads have evaporated late.

A Flawed Juggernaut

So what do we make of the Yankees?

They’re the best power-hitting team in baseball. They have Aaron Judge at the peak of his powers. They have Stanton hitting like it’s 2017 again. They’ve got depth that would make most front offices jealous.

And yet, they’re inconsistent in the moments that matter most: situational hitting, late-inning execution, and defensive reliability.

Coming off last year’s World Series loss, the question is whether this collection of talent can carry in October. The American League is wide open: Seattle, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Houston. None of those teams are invincible.

If the Yankees can finally start cashing in the meaningful runs their power promises, they’re as dangerous as anyone. But right now, they remain baseball’s biggest conundrum: a juggernaut on paper, and a Wild Card team in the standings.

All stats cited are before play on August 28.