I know our minds are elsewhere on this Thursday evening. If you’re living in the area you’re likely praying the Knicks magic carpet ride can stay alive tonight at the Garden, I know I’m doing that. But how about a distraction, and a good one at that? Things are decidedly less dire in the Bronx as the Yankees hit today’s off day at 35-20, seven games ahead of the Rays in the AL East to close out the month of May. They have won 16 out of 20 and really feel like they’re only just taking off, and while I’m sure the other shoe will drop at some point, let’s enjoy the good run. Today’s edition of the Beat will not feature a section on “the bad” as there really isn’t any to report back on right now. Instead we’ll look ahead to this weekend set in LA, as the Yanks take on the Dodgers in a World Series rematch. Let’s get into it!

The Good

Stellar Staff: Let’s start on the mound where the Yankees continue to get excellent starting pitching. We have talked a lot about Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, both of whom are pitching like aces in the absence of Gerrit Cole. But how about their running mates in the 3,4,5 spots in the rotation?! Clarke Schmidt is coming off a gem in Anaheim, with six scoreless innings, helping the Yankees win 1-0. Will Warren’s explosive stuff is continuing to play, as the team has won his last three outings and he is steadily improving each time out, racking up K’s. And last but not least there is offseason Flyer Ryan Yarbrough who has been great of late, lowering his ERA to 3.06 and picking up a win in Anaheim. This rotation has a staff ERA of 2.15, the best in baseball and is going to get help in the form of a healthy Luis Gil…look out!

Figuring it Out: I can hear my fiancée already, “I thought you hated Volpe.” To be clear I don’t hate Anthony Volpe, as instead I would say I’m frustrated by him. Volpe arrived with so much hype and offensively I feel he had failed to meet it. Too many strikeouts and too much swinging for the fences. But of late, it seems his approach has changed, and it’s a big benefit to this Yankee offense! Over his last 30 games, Volpe is hitting .274, with 18 RBI’s on just two homers, a far better contrast to his usual average hovering around .220. He’s also stolen 11 bases in that stretch, which adds another dimension to this offense, as he now has a .246 average to go with his .325 OBP. It’s not earth shattering but it’s definitely much needed improvement!

Lights Out Leiter: While I’m healing praise on players I’m not a huge fan of, let’s talk about Mark Leiter Jr. Since his acquisition, I’ve never been particularly thrilled with Leiter, or Boone’s obsession with him. But to be blunt, Leiter has been fantastic this year outside of some shaky work early on. 23 out of number 56’s last 26 appearances have been scoreless and his stuff only seems to get better. He earned his second save of the year Wednesday night in Anaheim as he gave Devin Williams and Luke Weaver a night off. Keep it up Mark and I just may stop groaning when you come in the game.

Jazz on the Mend: There is more good news on the injury front, as Jazz Chisholm is closing in on a return. Chisholm began a rehab assignment this week and hopefully he can hit the ground running with the bat after a sluggish start to the campaign offensively. What’s actually interesting about his rehab assignment is that the Yankees have Jazz playing third base, the position he played last season after arriving from Miami. If he actually stays at third full time, this is an indicator of two things. One, the Yankees like the trade deadline second base market more than the third base market. Two, they are comfortable to rotate DJ Lemahieu in at second off the bench following his solid return from the injured list. The Yankees depth is growing, and with it grows Brian Cashman’s flexibility.

The Rematch

This weekend the Yanks head into Chavez Ravine to face the defending champion Dodgers in a rematch of last year’s World Series. While no regular season contest can compare to a World Series and its weight, this series presents a chance for the Yankees to make a statement about their club. Sure LA is banged up (when aren’t they?), but they’re still a very good team in a very competitive NL West, and beating them serves as proof of concept for this Yankee team.

What concept is that you ask? I am referring to their all around improvement as a team, one that everyone except for the Yankees said this team needed, including the Dodgers. In the aftermath of their five game victory, LA essentially said the Yankees are exactly who they thought they were. A sloppy team, that would beat itself with idiotic decisions and plays or gaffs. Game 1 and game 5 served as proof of those flaws as poor base running, bad defense, and bad management were the bombers undoing.

Despite the Yankees saying the Dodgers should mind their business in the winter, they clearly took it to heart and the players you see above are responsible for the improved product you see on the field. Max Fried is worth every penny of record breaking deal. Cody Bellinger is an all around hitter and strong outfielder. Paul Goldschmidt provides the team with veteran savvy at the plate and in the field. Devin Williams and Jose Cruz have lengthened an already talented bullpen in their set up roles. This was the best possible response to losing series and losing Soto, by bringing in good baseball players who are strong in all phases of the sport. It’s early still, but this is the kind of team Brian Cashman used to build in the 90’s, a well rounded outfit that blends stars with solid everyday contributors, and it’s a thing of beauty.

So should this series be a sweeping declaration about the Yankees and their outlook pending the outcome of the three games? Of course not! But it can demonstrate the strides this team has made and the potential it has to get even stronger…or inform where it still needs to improve. So sit back, relax and enjoy what should be some high level regular season baseball in a series full of great players and crafty big leaguers alike. They have a grand stage to once again thrill us all.

After wrapping up this trip with the Dodgers, the Yanks come home for what appears to be the best weather the metro area has seen yet. They’ll face the Guardians and rival Red Sox for six games at the stadium. Those games, especially the ones against Boston, present an opportunity to continue to increase the distance between the Yanks and the pack in the AL, so it should be a fun week at home.

On twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon.