3 New York Yankees that need to ‘step it up’ to get back in playoff chase

If the Yankees have any chance at getting back in the playoff hunt, they’ll need these three key players to turn things around.

It’s been a tough stretch of baseball for the Yankees as of late, and that’s putting it lightly. The Bronx Bombers have lost 12-of-17 and have fallen to fourth place in the AL East with a 33-32 record. The frustration is reaching a boiling point, and manager Aaron Boone is on the hot seat following the underperforming results.

Currently sitting nine games back of the first place Rays, and four games out of a Wild Card spot, the Yankees will need to turn things around soon before they fall any further down the standings.

These 3 Yankees players need to ‘step it up’ in the next few weeks.

3. Gary Sanchez

The struggles for Gary Sanchez from last summer have carried over into his 2021 campaign. In 180 plate appearances, Sanchez has slashed .219/.328/.413 with eight home runs and 19 RBI. His on-base percentage isn’t necessarily terrible, but his inconsistency at the plate hasn’t helped a Yankees offense which ranks 27th in the majors for runs scored.

After a miserable May (.180 BA), Sanchez has gotten off to a better start going 10-for-38 (.263) with six RBI through nine games in June.

Defensively, Sanchez also has the fourth-most errors (5) among MLB catchers. Sanchez led all catchers in the majors last season with six errors in 41 games.

There’s something to be said about a World Series contending team having a catcher who can dominant on one or both sides of the ball. Sanchez has shown signs of life on the offensive end, and if the Yankees have any shot of getting back in the playoff race they’ll need to see more consistency at the plate.