The title may sound silly, but that’s honestly the most accurate description of the current state of the Yankees. Some aspects of this team are really humming. Four out of their five starting pitchers look really sharp right now. Their bullpen is still performing well and gaining healthy reinforcements. Hell one of their two lineups, a sentence I hated typing, actually looks dangerous and has real depth. All of these components came together to make for a solid 5-1 week at home against Colorado and the Mets.

So what specifically worked this week to make this team “kind of” fire on all cylinders? Probably the biggest and most impactful change is the lineup getting deeper as a result of Aaron Judge returning and a seemingly improved Anthony Volpe returning from Triple-A. While Judge hasn’t really gotten it fired up yet offensively, his presence alone is a huge lift. 99 gives the lineups best hitters the added protection from the right side they need to do more damage.

There may be one or two offensive pieces that you could interchange come playoff time, and still have success. But in my opinion to have a real shot at doing anything this October, the Yankees playoff lineup must include Rice, Bellinger, Judge, Garcia, and Jones every single game. They are at their most dangerous with these hitters in the lineup, and these are their best bats, who need to play regardless of the pitchers handedness.

The aforementioned mix of players, along with Ryan McMahon and George Lombard also make the Yankees their best selves defensively. I can’t overstate how important it is that this team plays a sound game in the field, as it would be a real shame to waste a stellar playoff start from this rotation playing Heliot Ramos or Trent Grisham in the field. October baseball is about superior talent and ability winning out, win with your best players and set up, or lose with it. It’s better than going down wondering what could have been.

The improved offense and defense aside, I really can’t say enough good things about this bullpen, who continues to deliver like they have all year. Luis Gil, John Schreiber, and Michael Fulmer have all been good enough additions to this unit at a time of real need. While they’re fortunate to get help from those sources, the real engine of the pen remains Headrick, Blackburn and the outstanding David Bednar! I haven’t highlighted Bednar enough in these posts, as we almost take his performance for granted at this point. He’s been great since arriving here last year outside of two weeks earlier this summer. With a 2.66 ERA and 34 saves in 37 opportunities, he’s been the teams best steady closer since Andrew Miller will need to continue his work when playoffs come.

While the pen has continued to defy the limits of their own ability, the rotation is right there with them. Will Warren is absolutely rolling of late on the bump, Max Fried in spite of brief outings is his usual steady self, and Carlos Rodon is putting it all together right on time as well. While all three have been good, none can compare to Cam Schlittler, who is moving into rarified air in Yankee history. His 1.95 ERA and 228 punch outs in 184.1 innings will have him finish this year in the class of Ron Guidry in 1978 and Whitey Ford in 1961 from a performance perspective. Hopefully he gets the Cy Young award like they did too when it’s all said and done.

If one thing has to change for the better, it’s the performance of Gerrit Cole. Number 45 has had a really rough go of it lately on the mound. Over his last four starts, the perfectionist overly intense version of Cole has crept in and ruined his work. Of course, that intensity is part of what makes Cole great, but watching him at the moment gives the impression of a guy overthinking and not just letting it rip.

What’s really hurt him, aside from the long ball itself, is what I’ll call “the snowball inning.” Cole’s been unable to stop the bleeding in these nightmare innings. It’s never just one home run, it’s three or four. It’s never just the one walk on a close pitch that sends him over the edge mentally, it’s followed by three or four hard hit balls. This isn’t revelatory, he knows this as well as any pro, but come October Cole’s got to lock in and battle through adversity better, and while I’m sure he’ll sort things out, it’s absolutely critical he does if this team is to achieve anything.

So what’s next after this 5-1 week in the Bronx? A six game road trip to Minnesota and Arizona, series with a pair of teams on opposite ends of the playoff spectrum. Minnesota, the Yankees longtime cupcake opponent who tepidly bought at the deadline, is just playing out the string. Meanwhile Arizona is clinging to their playoff lives and will need each of the three games to make the dance. After this final road trip, the Bombers return to the Bronx to battle the Rays in a massive series and then the Orioles to wrap the season up. Should be a fun last two weeks, with the potential to get really exciting.

Before I go, I wanted to briefly touch on Friday’s ceremonies at the Stadium to commemorate 9/11. When the attacks happened I was five years old, I don’t have much of a memory of that awful day, nor do I personally know anyone affected by the tragedy. But I’ve always felt strongly about appropriately marking the occasion because its importance in our collective history can’t be overstated. As you know I believe strongly in the role sports plays in our culture and the games and moments from around 9/11 are some of the best examples of it.

The Yankees deserve their flowers for putting together a beautiful and touching ceremony Friday night for the 25th anniversary of the attacks. From Lee Greenwood perforating, to the warm and friendly sight of dynasty era stars like Jeter and Tino, and to a touching first pitch, the Yankees nailed it. Of course it takes two to tango and the Mets did a fabulous job not just on Friday but all week long doing work with survivors and victims families alike, along with the Yankees. There is NO excuse for MLB to not schedule these two to play one another every year. While it’s a somber occasion, something just feels right about this sports obsessed towns baseball teams playing one another as the help the never ending work of healing the wounds. We must never forget, and it will always be New York or Nowhere.

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