Aaron Decide continues to be in the midst of what Aaron Boone referred to as a “historic” season, having damaged the 50-homer milestone for the second time in three years and the third time in his profession.
However he is also within the midst of a 15-game homerless drought.
Not solely is it Decide’s longest stretch and not using a homer this yr, it matches the longest of his profession.
“It’s simply baseball,” Decide mentioned earlier than the Yankees’ 4-3, 11-inning win over the Royals in The Bronx, echoing the feelings of his supervisor. “I’m feeling superb and the outcomes shall be there.”
Although Decide’s funk started after he slammed into the middle area wall in Washington when he robbed Andres Chaparro of a homer, each Decide and Boone have mentioned that Decide is wholesome, with simply the standard bumps and bruises that include taking part in into September.
And Decide additionally has confirmed he’s capable of snap out of a majority of these funks shortly — and in contrast to every other hitter within the recreation.
It was simply this previous April when questions arose round Decide’s lack of manufacturing over the course of the primary month of the season.
In his first 27 video games, Decide homered simply 4 occasions and hit .178 with a .674 OPS by means of 123 plate appearances.
Then he slammed a house run on April 27 and once more the following day to begin a 102-game stretch throughout which he hit 47 homers and briefly put himself forward of the tempo he put up throughout his 2022 record-breaking season.
Decide hit .377 and had an OPS of 1.349 and all however sealed the AL MVP award.
The previous two weeks, although, haven’t been type to Decide or the Yankees.
He’s now in an 11-for-54 rut with simply three extra-base hits, all doubles, and a .594 OPS.
“It’s simply hitting,” Boone mentioned. “It’s one other historic season he’s placing collectively. We noticed in April and now the final couple weeks the place he’s not dominating like his standard self. I’m assured he’ll get rolling.”
His march towards his AL-record of 62 homers that he set two years in the past has come to a screeching halt and with simply 16 video games left within the common season, Decide’s earlier milestone appears protected.
Extra necessary for the Yankees and Decide at this level is getting him out of his present rut.
Even together with his present struggles, Decide nonetheless figures to be the favourite to win one other AL MVP, however Bobby Witt Jr. is making issues fascinating, because the shortstop retains the Royals within the second wild-card spot.
“I don’t take note of that,’’ Decide mentioned of the MVP race. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Getting into Wednesday, Decide had a 9.5 WAR in response to Baseball Reference, in comparison with Witt’s 9.1.
And Decide leads the majors in almost all offensive classes — along with homers. Nobody has extra RBIs, or a greater OPS or on-base proportion.
The extra important quantity, so far as the Yankees are involved, is that they’ve dropped eight of their previous 14 video games as they attempt to maintain off the Orioles within the AL East.
