Yankees panic meter: A June slump, or something more serious?

The New York Yankees finally scored a run, doing that for the first time in 30 innings on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s solo shot in the second inning of Wednesday's game, but they lost their third straight contest to the Los Angeles Angels and their sixth in a row overall. Following this loss, Yankees fans are starting to panic. To be honest, it's hard to blame them.

This Yankees team was one that, even with Juan Soto playing across town and Gerrit Cole missing the entire season with injury, had a shot at representing the American League in the World Series, given how lackluster the league is. They played like a World Series-caliber team for the first two months of the season, but their latest stretch has been extremely tough to watch.

What's most concerning about this six-game losing streak is that the Yankees have lost six straight games despite allowing only 16 runs in that stretch. They've allowed fewer than three runs per game on average and have lost all six games. They've even lost three times allowing two runs or fewer. They've been losing because their offense has disappeared. They went 30 innings, over 3 full games, without scoring a single run, and have managed to score a total of six runs in these six contests.

Whether it's time to panic or not about the 42-31 Yankees, who are still tied for the second-best record in the American League and lead the AL East, is worth asking.

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Why it might be time for Yankees fans to panic

The biggest reason why the Yankees looked so good for much of the year was because of their lineup. Sure, Aaron Judge was doing ridiculous things, but just about everyone around him was producing as well. I mean, even with one of the worst offensive slumps some Yankees fans have ever endured, each of New York's eight qualified position players this season has a WRC+ of at least 100 on the year. They have eight everyday players who are at least league-average at the dish, and four of them have a WRC+ above 115. This list doesn't even include guys like Chisholm and Giancarlo Stanton, who have each missed substantial time with injuries.

While their overall numbers look good, many of these supporting cast players have struggled lately. Since May 13, Judge and Cody Bellinger are the only ones of their 10 position players who have at least 50 plate appearances and have a WRC+ over 100. That means that the Yankees have consistently run out a lineup filled with below-average hitters other than Judge and Bellinger. This recent stretch has influenced that, obviously, but these players have been on a downward trend for a while now.

This tweet pretty much sums up the state of this Yankees offense right now. The supporting cast is not getting the job done, and if we're being honest, it's hard to expect much from them.

Trent Grisham got off to an unbelievable start, but he's essentially reverted back to the hitter he's always been. Paul Goldschmidt looked like his former MVP self in April and May, but now looks like the 37-year-old the St. Louis Cardinals had no problem dumping. Cody Bellinger isn't hitting with nearly as much power as Yankees fans wanted to see. One thing I will say, though, is that Ben Rice has gotten ridiculously unlucky with how hard he's been hitting the ball all year.

Without a supporting cast, Aaron Judge faces a ton of pressure. Ultimately, as great as he is, he can't do everything. As much as Yankees fans don't want to admit it, Juan Soto's presence did help him, too. Still, while things might look bleak now, there's reason not to panic as well.

Why Yankees fans shouldn't panic just yet

A big reason why the Yankees' offense hasn't done anything for a week now is that Aaron Judge has been completely silent at the dish. He has just two hits in his last 23 at-bats during this six-game skid after going 0-for-4 on Wednesday. He's struck out 14 times in those 23 at-bats, which is an astonishing amount, after fanning twice on Wednesday.

As unfortunate as it is to see Judge slump, it was bound to happen eventually. You'd like for the role players to step up when Judge struggles, but this team is ultimately built around the best hitter in the game. It's hard to expect the Yankees to score runs when Judge isn't even putting the ball into play.

Ultimately, Judge is going to get it going again. It might be harder with his supporting cast struggling, but eventually, Judge is going to find his stroke. He's too good not to. I wouldn't be shocked if he recorded four hits and went deep twice tomorrow. When Judge is hitting, he can carry a team. As long as he's healthy, there's really no reason to panic. Judge struggling in mid-June is better than him doing it in October.

Even with their slump, the Yankees are one of the best teams in the AL, record-wise. They still have as good of a shot as any team to represent the AL in the World Series because of how weak the league is. All they have to do is get to the playoffs, and that shouldn't be a problem.

The final verdict: Yankees fans should be pretty concerned

I won't say Yankees fans should full-on panic, but it's getting a bit concerning. A six-game sample in the middle of June means nothing, and this team should still be considered the favorites to win the AL East, but don't Yankees fans want more than that?

It's World Series or bust every year in the Bronx, fair or not. World Series teams struggle every year, but this Yankees team doesn't look like one that can seriously compete with the National League's elite right now. Ultimately, who other than Judge are you afraid of?

Stanton in October is a different beast, but will he be healthy? Chisholm has a lot of talent, but will he make enough contact? Can Bellinger hit for more power? Will Goldschmidt get going again? Can Brian Cashman add another bat at the trade deadline? This Yankees team is easy to pitch to if teams don't have a reason to pitch to Judge.

Yankees fans should not be concerned when it comes to this team's ability to make the postseason, but the goal is to do more than that. It's starting to get concerning when it comes to believing in this team's ability to win a World Series, which is the name of the game.

Yankees panic meter: 6/10