theathleticuk
ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla.
Can the free-swinging New York Yankees win the World Series? If the past 25 winners tell us anything, the answer is no.
Of the last 25 World Series winners, none has finished in the bottom five in strikeout rate and won it all.
The Yankees have the fourth-worst strikeout rate in the majors.
Only the Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles have struck out more than them this season, and each of those teams is currently out of the postseason picture.
Advertisement The World Series winner with the worst strikeout rate over the last 25 years was the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who had the sixth-worst rate that year in the regular season and, well, I dont need to tell you how they reached the finish line.
They are also the last club to finish in the bottom 10 in strikeout rate and win it all.
For reference, the 2009 Yankees, the franchises last title-winning team, had the second-best strikeout rate, and the 2000 Yankees had the ninth-best.
But lets get back to the 2026 Yankees, who set a bleak franchise record in their first two games this week against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Yankees struck out 34 times over the past two days, their most ever in a two-game span.
The previous high was 30.
The Yankees also became the first team in American League history to strike out at least 17 times in consecutive nine-inning games.
I knew we had 17 (on Monday), a baffled Cody Bellinger began, but I feel like we didnt have that many (on Tuesday), but obviously Im wrong.
Striking out at least 34 times over two games has happened just 32 times in MLB history.
Seven teams have done it since 2020, including the Athletics twice this season.
Still, it is hard to fathom a team striking out that many times over 18 innings.
And yet, these Yankees found a way.
They were completely shut down on consecutive days by Rays starters Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour, who both racked up double-digit strikeouts.
Tampa Bay starters hadnt pulled that off since 2021.
Although Jax and Seymour have established themselves among the top strikeout pitchers this season since transitioning from bullpen roles last year, the Yankees performance made them look like Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson in their primes.
Youre gonna have nights where youre up against a dominant pitcher, especially in todays game where youre going to have those double digits here and there, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after another night of watching whiffs.
Advertisement Perhaps none of the 17 strikeouts in Tuesdays 6-4 Yankees loss was more puzzling than Jose Caballeros in the second inning.
In a 3-2 count, Caballero went down looking, but he wouldnt have been able to swing even if he wanted.
By the time Seymour had released the pitch, Caballero had dropped the bat off his shoulder and simply watched the ball go into catcher Hunter Feduccias glove.
Jose Caballero drops his bat as strike three comes in pic.twitter.com/ZNPS2hMGqv SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 7, 2026 After being one of the Yankees heroes on Monday, the first game of this four-game set, Caballero struck out in each of his four at-bats on Tuesday.
Paul Goldschmidt added a four-strikeout game of his own, extending his hitless streak to 30 at-bats.
Caballero and Goldschmidt became the first Yankees teammates to each have four-strikeout games since Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka in 2021.
I wish I had an answer for you, Goldschmidt said when discussing his recent skid.
The performance (on Tuesday), especially, was terrible.
Id like to try to be more positive than that, but you strike out four times, and there were guys on base just, really, a bad performance.
Since the start of June, no team has struck out more often than the Yankees.
It has coincided with their offense becoming one of the leagues worst.
Their 86 wRC+ ranks 26th in MLB during that span.
Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are not returning from their injuries anytime soon.
The trade deadline is still roughly a month away (Aug.
3).
The Yankees have to work with what they have.
And a lot of strikeouts are likely going to be a part of this offense.
I dont want to be down at the bottom, but were going to keep trying, Boone said.
Were going to come in here and grind away and try and get this thing turned around and get some guys going.
This is where we are.
Thats the bed weve made, and weve also been a very good offense much of the year.
Right now, were going through it.
Weve got to be better, clearly.
Should the Yankees fail to rectify this strikeout epidemic, they will, at the very least, be forced to defy 25 years of historical precedent to capture a championship.