Will Yankees ride home-run bats to playoff success?

Everybody digs the lengthy ball — however few greater than these New York Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers are hitting the ball out of the stadium at an alarming fee this yr, led by Aaron Decide’s league-leading 25 jacks and Anthony Rizzo’s 19 — he added one on Monday night time.

By means of 67 video games, the Yankees have hit 111 house runs, and they’re on tempo to hit 268 for the season, which might be the second-most in a season in Yankees historical past and slot them fifth all-time in a single season, behind the 2019 Minnesota Twins (307), 2019 Yankees (306), 2019 Houston Astros (288) and 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers (279 — clearly, 2019 was the yr to go yard).

Presently, in fifth place are the 2018 Yankees (267).

The 2022 Yankees’ 1.66 house runs per recreation are on tempo to be the second-highest in group historical past since 1901. They averaged 1.89 HR per recreation in 2019.

Moreover, the Yankees’ high 4 HR per recreation charges in group historical past have all come since 2018 — however in none of these years did they win a world title (they misplaced within the ALDS twice and the ALCS as soon as). 

So how does hitting the heck out of the ball translate to postseason success?

Since 2010, the group that led the league in regular-season house runs has solely as soon as gained the World Collection — the 2020 Dodgers, who hit 118 homers within the pandemic-shortened, 60-game common season.

In 2010, the Toronto Blue Jays missed the playoffs after hitting 257 regular-season jacks, and in 2013, the Baltimore Orioles did the identical regardless of hitting 212 homers in 162 video games.

Most just lately, in 2021, the Blue Jays hit 262 homers within the common season and missed the postseason.

Nonetheless, each group from 2010-2021 has gained a minimum of 85 video games (aside from the 2020 Dodgers as a result of pandemic-shortened season), and eight of the 12 groups gained a minimum of 90 video games. 

Two of these groups gained 100 video games — the 2019 Twins and the 2018 Yankees.

At 50-17 (.746), the Yankees are on tempo for 120 wins, which might break the present 162-game MLB file of 116 wins shared by the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners.

As well as, at solely 67 video games, that is the quickest the Yankees have reached 50 wins since 1998, when in addition they began 50-17 and went on to win the World Collection.

This yr’s model of the Yankees will presumably observe the lead of the groups which have hit essentially the most homers over the previous 12 years. 

However the postseason is a special beast. And solely time will inform if their bats keep sizzling.

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