MAY REPORT:  15-13 (31-23 Overall)

For nearly the whole month of May, the Yankees were recognized as one of the hottest teams in baseball. Unfortunately, the Subway Series between the Mets altered expert's opinions of the Yanks, as the Mets swept the Bombers in a four-game series for the first time in history. These four games showed a lack of offense, defense, timely hitting, and overall performance. Mariano Rivera blew his first save of the year at Citi Field as the Yanks were three outs away from a much needed victory. This leads us to wonder if the Yanks we expected to see during Spring Training have finally shown up. Teixeira and Youkilis are back from their time on the DL, and Granderson will be back in a matter of weeks, but will this pitching staff and rotation hold up? The AL East is tight, and the Yankees can easily choose their own fate of "first or worst" by winning ball games that are essential for a playoff run. Don't worry fans. It's only June. 

TOP PERFORMERS: Robinson Cano & Lyle Overbay

Cano's average dropped under .300 during the last week of the month, but he lead the team in home runs (7), and RBI (19) in the month of May. Cano is essential for the Yankees to maintain a competitive edge against powerful opponents within the division and league. Remember way back in March when Brian Cashman signed a free agent who was released early in Spring Training by the Red Sox? Anyone? Does Lyle Overbay ring a bell? The fist basemen wrecked the baseball this month, hitting nine doubles and trailing Cano by only two RBI for the team lead in May. So far, Overbay has become the best free agent signing of the year for the Yanks, and although the Sox saw no talent left in this player, the Yanks took a chance, and so far, Overbay has payed off. 

WORST PERFORMER: Vernon Wells

Timely hitting is key to winning baseball games. This month, Vernon Wells showed the exact opposite. Wells was traded for in March, and during the fist few weeks of the season, he played like the "Wells of old" who slugged 30+ homers with Toronto in his prime. The man is hitting .221 with only four homers. His RBI count was low and his strikeouts were high (16). Wells defines a hot and cold hitter, and in order for him to maintain a spot in the lineup, Vernon must find his bat and return to reaching base safely. April was a pleasant surprise, but May was a major disappointment.  

ROOKIES & CO.

The injuries of all the Yankee all stars and some other key players lead to many youngsters called up from the minors. Catcher Austin Romine was called up after injuries from Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart, and Romine showed that his pitch calling and defense behind the plate is impressive, but his bat needs work. Once Youkilis was placed on the DL with a bad back, 3B David Adams was promoted to the hot corner. His defense is top notch, but his bat shows little power. I'm impressed with how both have managed to perform exceptionally well in their first year in the big show. The year is young, and we'll be seeing much of them during this year and hopefully many more seasons to come. They keep me optimistic of the future. Pitchers Vidal Nuno and David Phelps also represent the future pitching staff with low ERAs and WHIPs. We have no choice but to stay optimistic. Keep the faith.

W2W4

The all stars are soon return, but the Yankees must maintain ground with what the have been dealt with. Hafner and Wells will eventually self destruct, but Brett Gardner and Ichiro must show consistency in the outfield. Hiroki Kuroda has been been impressive, but the rotation has no choice but to put up effective stats to keep the offense in ball games. The four game sweep from the Mets damaged our spirits and confidence, but the month of June brings about opportunity to succeed. The Yanks take their only west coast trip of the season for ten games between the Mariners, A's, and Angels. The Yanks then come home to face the LA Dodgers in the Bronx for the first time in history during the regular season for a quick two game series. The Yankees have more home games this month then away games, so I expect more victories than losses with the faithful fans supporting them on. The Bombers finished 15-13 in May (I predicted 16-12), and sit a game behind first place in the AL East. The month shows a great deal of competition and it will be a sure test whether or not the Yanks mean business this season. Prediction: 14-12 (45-35, 2nd AL East)