Yankees skid is even worse than it looks thanks to latest stat

There's a crisis in the Bronx. The New York Yankees, who 20 games ago had the best record in Major League Baseball, are in a prolonged tailspin, and there appears to be no end in sight.

The Yanks have been in a collective funk for close to a month now, and this weekend's series loss at home to the hated Boston Red Sox only further illuminated how far this team has fallen since winning 29 of 37 games through May and early June.

New York hasn't won a series since taking three of four from the Royals nearly a month ago, a stretch that includes four losses to the Red Sox in six meetings, a humiliating two-game sweep at the hands of the Mets in which the Yankees gave up 21 runs, a pathetic three-game sweep at home to the lowly Reds, and a series loss to the Orioles that was punctuated by a 17-5 walloping of AL Cy Young contender Luis Gil.

Twenty games ago, the Yankees led Baltimore and Cleveland by 3.5 games for the best record in the American League, and their 50 wins was three more than the next closest team in the majors, the Phillies. All of that has evaporated during this recent stretch, and Aaron Boone's club now finds itself looking up at all of those teams in the standings. They trail the O's and Guardians by three games each, and are four back of the Phils. The Dodgers have also passed them by a half-game, and the Brewers are hot on their heels.

One simple stat perfectly captures how terrible the Yankees have been

Comparing the Yankees to the best teams in baseball is not a fair fight right now, even if they're still close in the standings. The concerning thing for Yankees fans is that in a league that features such dreadful teams as the White Sox, Marlins, and Rockies, their team still has by far the worst record in the majors in the past 20 games.

If you're three games worse for an extended period than teams that have already posted flashing neon GOING OUT OF BUSINESS signs weeks before the trade deadline, it may be time to panic. Righting this sinking ship, though, is much more difficult than making one simple fix, as outside of Aaron Judge, nearly the entire team is underperforming.

The pitching staff has fallen on hard times, and after fantastic beginnings to the season, Gil and Carlos Rodon have been beaten up in recent weeks. The bullpen has been even worse, sporting an ERA of well over 5.00 since the start of their skid.

Outside of a few random games during this stretch where they've popped off, the bats have gone cold as well, but more blame falls on the pitchers than the slumping lineup. Somehow, the Yankees haven't won a game in which they've scored fewer than eight runs since June 18.

Major moves at the trade deadline are in order if GM Brian Cashman hopes to right the ship, and while it would still be a shock to see Aaron Boone let go at this point, that could easily change if the team continues faltering into August.

The Yankees played so well in the early part of the season that even with their recent swoon, they're still very much in the race, but the vibes have shifted significantly in the Bronx. The All-Star break could be just what the doctor ordered for this reeling team, but the Yankees first have to get through six division games with the Rays and Orioles.