Yankees’ Judge and Soto are All-Star starters, Gil’s struggles continue: Covering the Bases
The Yankees will have two starters in the All-Star Game, with June's AL Player of the Month Aaron Judge and Juan Soto voted to represent the team in Arlington on July 16. We'll find out on Sunday if any other players will be joining them on the roster. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal also had pitcher Luis Gil on his list of All-Star picks last Friday, but that was before Gil had a third straight subpar start (more on that below).
But before we get to the break, the Yankees will try to avoid a sweep by the Cincinnati Reds in their July 4 matinee before facing three straight AL East rivals in the Boston Red Sox , Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles .
While it is shaping up to be the "Summer of Judge" for the Yankees, who will give away George Costanza "Seinfeld" bobbleheads on Friday night at Yankee Stadium, the team's 12-15 record in the past month has been enough to make fans want to scream "Serenity now!" at the top of their lungs.
Want more baseball? Sign up here to receive The Athletic's daily MLB newsletter — The Windup — directly in your inbox.
Power rankings: New York Yankees are No. 4
The Yankees dropped two spots in the latest MLB Power Rankings , where this week's topic was a trade deadline prediction for every team.
Record: 54-32 (as of Tuesday morning) Last Power Ranking: 2
Trade deadline prediction: There's going to be a new starting infielder
It could be at first base, if the team opts for an upgrade over rookie Ben Rice and declines to rely on Anthony Rizzo upon his return from a broken arm. It could be at second base, where Gleyber Torres is muddling through a miserable platform season. Or it could be at third base, where DJ LeMahieu has been unable to hit the ball hard (and hasn't produced a slugging percentage better than .390 since 2020). Brian Cashman could target a utility player capable of plugging different infield spots on different days. But upgrades are necessary for a team with championship aspirations. — Andy McCullough
Baseball beat
Everything you need to know on the Yankees this week from our national writers and team beat writers Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner.
The Yankees stars were the top two vote-getters in the American League outfield, as starters were announced Wednesday evening. The rest of the rosters will be revealed on Sunday.
As Kuty details, for the third straight start, Gil struggled with his once-dominant fastball and his command.
Kirschner spoke to the Yankees pitching coach over the weekend and offers these takeaways on the staff's brutal performance in June.
The superstar outfielder was scratched from Saturday's game in Toronto due to a bruise on his right hand. The absence was short-lived, as he returned to the starting lineup on Sunday.
While the Yankees would eventually win a 16-5 blowout on Friday, the game was tied heading into the sixth when Stroman was caught yelling at Torres in the dugout after the second baseman failed to turn a double play in the bottom of the fifth. Kirschner had the reaction from both players and other teammates following the game.
Former MLB GM Jim Bowden assessed a handful of potential Yankees trade proposals from Kuty and Kirschner. See what he came up with here .
Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney looked at that possibility in last Friday's trade deadline watch report , noting that the Yankees and Rangers have had a noticeable scouting presence around the Cubs recently.
8. Carlos Rodón was a disaster once again. Where do they go from here?
The veteran continued a string of poor starts during the series opener in Toronto last Thursday.
(Top photo of Aaron Judge: Luke Hales / )
