Yankees Inching Closer to Tigers

As the season continues forward, the New York Yankees get closer and closer to securing another trip to the World Series and getting the chance to extend the team's dominant history as reigning champ.

The Yankees are nearly at the top of the American League. With a sensational 5-1 victory against the Los Angeles Angels, the Pinstripes (33-20, a .623 win percentage) trail just the Detroit Tigers (35-20, .636) for the best record in the AL.

Across leagues, the competition is a bit stiffer, with the Philadelphia Phillies leading the pack at .642 and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs trailing just behind at .611.

The Yankees have opportunities to fill gaps in the roster before the trade deadline on July 31. Pitching is one of the team's biggest concerns, as starter Gerrit Cole is out for the season to recover from Tommy John surgery and young ace Luis Gil is injured with an uncertain timeline for return.

New York has tried to cover for the loss of both Cole and Gil, but there's been no shortage of struggles. Reliever Devin Williams was yanked from the lineup after a dismal showing against the Toronto Blue Jays in April, giving up 2 runs in the 9th inning. He was replaced by Luke Weaver, who has been able to do much more in the position, but still doesn't close the gap for Yankees starting pitchers.

Fortunately for New York, they boast tremendous depth at another key position: hitting. Of course, superstar slugger Aaron Judge leads the AL in runs (51), home runs (18), batting average (.398) and on-base percentage (.492).

However, Judge's teammates — like Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Paul Goldschmidt and Anthony Volpe, and many others — are also at the top of their games, propelling the Yankees to offensive dominance over teams who struggle with their lineup. With Giancarlo Stanton reportedly closer to returning to the game for a rehab assignment, the Pinstripes' offensive power only continues to grow.

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