Yankees Have the Bats and Arms, But One Flaw Still Worries Former GM

The Yankees have looked like two different teams this season. At their best, they resemble the group that stormed to the World Series a year ago. At their worst, they play like a club that doesn’t belong in the postseason.

The inconsistency has roots in injuries. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are out of rht year and Luis Gil missed significant time. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been limited, forcing awkward roster choices until Judge can return to right field and Stanton can settle into the designated hitter role.

There have been stabilizers. Rookie Cam Schlittler (2.76 ERA in eight starts) has been a surprise anchor in the rotation. The bullpen looks steadier after the deadline addition of closer David Bednar. The offense still flexes, leading the majors in home runs and ranking third in runs scored.

But former MLB general manager Jim Bowden sees one glaring weakness that threatens to undo all of it. “The lack of defensive stability is the Yankees’ biggest liability going into October,” Bowden wrote in The Athletic.

That starts at shortstop, where Anthony Volpe’s struggles with the glove have been hard to ignore. He’s shown hesitation on routine plays, rushed throws without his feet set, and the occasional lapse in decision-making — including throws to the wrong base. For a player who won a Gold Glove last season, the slide has been glaring.

The lapses aren’t limited to one spot.

Jasson Domínguez has occasionally missed the cutoff man from left field. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has left outs on the field at second. Just last week, catcher Austin Wells dropped a routine popup against Boston.

The Yankees did try to address the problem, bringing in Ryan McMahon to help solidify the infield. But the miscues have continued.

The talent is there to clean it up. The question is whether they can play crisp, consistent baseball when it matters most. As Bowden points out, it may decide how far this team actually goes.