The New York Yankees are facing some harsh reality checks early in the season, and it’s coming from one of their own legends.
Derek Jeter didn’t mince words after watching his former team get demolished 18-2 by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. The Hall of Fame shortstop’s assessment? The Dodgers are simply the better team right now.
“The National League is superior to the American League right now,” Jeter told Newark Star Ledger’s Bob Klapisch. “You never know what’s going to happen at the trade deadline, it might not be the same two teams once we get into August and September, but as it stands now, the Dodgers have a better team.”
That’s a tough pill to swallow for Yankees fans who watched their team march into Dodger Stadium hoping to make a statement after losing the 2024 World Series to LA.
Instead, they got the opposite.
The weekend sweep exposed what many observers suspected – these two teams aren’t operating on the same level right now. What makes Jeter’s comments even more concerning is the context: the Dodgers are missing more than a dozen pitchers due to injury.
If the Yankees can’t match up with a severely depleted Dodgers roster, what does that say about their October chances?
Pressure Building on Cashman
Sure, it’s just two games in a 162-game season. But these weren’t just any two games – they were a measuring stick against the defending champions.
The way I see it, Brian Cashman has some serious work ahead of him before the July 31 trade deadline. Jeter’s blunt assessment carries weight because he’s seen championship teams up close for two decades in pinstripes.
When your franchise icon is publicly saying the competition is better, that’s not just criticism – it’s a call to action.
The Yankees organization prides itself on competing for titles every year. Right now, they’re getting outclassed by a team that’s basically running a skeleton pitching staff.
All things considered, the trade deadline just became a lot more important for New York. They can’t afford to stand pat if they want to change the narrative that’s developing around this team.
