Slumping Yankees remain quiet at the plate in fourth consecutive loss

After a red-hot start to the 2026 season, the New York Yankees are beginning to cool.

On Monday, the Yankees (26-16) lost their fourth game in a row, MLB's longest active losing streak, and fifth in their last six games, dropping the opener of their road series against the Baltimore Orioles, 3-2. New York's batting has been an issue during the skid, with the team scoring nine runs in its five most recent losses.

Against the Orioles, the Yankees scored two runs on five hits while going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, leaving five men on base.

Yankees quiet at the plate again in fourth consecutive loss

Before slumping, the Yanks looked like arguably the best team in baseball, outscoring opponents by 79 runs through their first 36 games. New York averaged 5.5 runs per game and hit an MLB-leading 60 home runs, making up for a pedestrian .244 team batting average. (h/t Stathead)

Since May 6, the offense has nosedived, Yankees batters going 38-for-192 (.198) at the plate with four homers and 63 strikeouts.

First baseman Ben Rice had his best game since returning from a brief absence on Monday, but is just 2-for-17 over his last four games, while Aaron Judge is 5-of-22 with a team-high 10 strikeouts. With centerfielder Trent Grisham (.174 batting average), second baseman Jazz Chisholm (.201) and third baseman Ryan McMahon (.210) struggling to produce, New York can't afford its top stars to disappear. Yet that's what's happened as the team's hit its first dose of adversity this season.

The slump has allowed the Tampa Bay Rays (27-13) to take over first in the AL East. The Yankees are fortunate the rest of the American League is in shambles or the piling losses would be even more cause for concern. But rather than grow the gap between it and the majority of the rest of the league, New York's keeping the door open for others to catch it in case they ever get their acts together.

For as strong a start as the Yankees had, it was only a matter of time before they reached a bump in the road. Depending on how fast New York can get back in a rhythm at the plate, it could get a whole lot bumpier.