Do The Yankees Know How To Play Modern Day Baseball?

With every new year that passes following 2009, I get itchy. First, it was five years after the championship, then it was filling Derek Jeter‘s shoes, then it was the Houston Astros and before you know it the Yankees are here: losing the 2024 World Series in five games and even further away from 2009. This all makes me ponder on the dreadful comments that my friends share with me regularly- that in fact the Yankees are not adapting to the progressive changes to the game. So my question as we head into 2025 is this, “Do the Yankees know how to play modern day baseball?”

Going back to the backchannel I have through social, text messages and in person conversations, the Yankees appear to rely on getting the big talent and hope that it all works. Some believe that they are lucky they have gotten as far as they have with the big bats that load up their lineup. Others think that the Yankees can’t home grow good talent themselves, so they have to rely on other teams to do it for them. I think there is merit to some of this commentary. 

George Steinbrenner often bought his way to championships, adding fixtures, spending money and bringing in the big talent. But with that big talent, he cleverly built in insurance policies with other players who could become big players by just being a Yankee. This was a testament to who the Yankees were and how they commanded attention, often dominating other small market teams with their fanfare and of course their 27 championships. But as we move further away from that 27th championship, now 16 years ago come this spring training, the command the Yankees once had, is disappearing just like Blockbuster, Radio Shack, and analog phones. 

Modern day baseball is more about building talent, building culture and competing with players who not only have baseball acumen but prioritize it. They prioritize their full time jobs instead of all the side hustles. They prioritize winning and laying a foundation, instead of their big pay day that they think they have earned when free agency comes along.

Then there are the numbers, the statistics and records. Data analytics have a place, but if you don’t work on the baseball fundamentals, balance, mental wellness, nutrition and leadership, you don’t win. You don’t even come close. Big bats have a place, but that can’t be all of your lineup. You need diversity, defense and drive. The teams that win, have that. The teams that win, bring that year after year. Those were the Yankee teams of the 2000s but they are not the teams of the 2020s. 

I would love for the Yankees to reflect on all of this. I would love for the Yankees to pivot and adjust to modern day baseball, which is holistic in nature. That baseball brings together multiple components of playing baseball, not just home runs and velocity, but other durable skills that often get overlooked for batting and earned run averages. My wish for the new year is that Yankees learn how to play in this new era of baseball instead of relying on the days of the past. It was different back then. You can remember those days and celebrate them, but you have to rely on what matters now and get that into your players minds and hearts. Then you can win championship 28. Happy New Year, All!

–Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof