Yesterday, we saw the mental errors. Judge lobbed a ball in from right field, allowing a wily Boston runner to tag up and take third base. Sanchez can’t be trusted to block balls in the dirt. And the Mets’ Rosario has a bad habit of double clutching, allowing speedy runners like Dee Gordon to beat out routine grounders, which may have blown the game for deGrom.
We hear that mental mistakes won’t happen again. In Judge’s case, you can believe it. But Sanchez and Rosario have poor fundamentals which aren’t so easy to correct. They are young and talented enough to overcome them, but more gaffes will come.
For years, it was assumed that the Bombers had to focus on veteran star power. They couldn’t afford to play kids, given their high ticket prices and even higher expectations. They stacked their roster with expensive free agents. The Mets lacked the financial resources to take that approach (despite trying it a few times). They had to build through the farm system.
But last year, the Yanks shipped out their high priced players, rebuilding with youth. Lo and behold, they won. They put on a spirited sprint with the kids last season, falling short only in the final weeks. The Mets, stocked with expensive additions, were expected to contend while the Yankees struggled to break even.
But with the recent success of the Yanks, both teams seem dedicated to doing it with prospects. We see that trusting youth has its pitfalls too, and is not a steady climb, despite the first half that Judge had and the rise of Sanchez,
Sanchez has regressed defensively. Judge is back to striking out with alarming frequency. Dom Smith may not be as good as the Mets had hoped. Rosario is a bit cocky.
There is no single way to build a ball club that guarantees success. NY teams are trying to do it with youth. We’ll see if that lasts, or if a few stumbles will send them back to their old spending patterns.
