:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64131473/usa_today_12946189.0.jpg)
NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: DJ LeMahieu, aka “Le Machine,” is a robot sent from Colorado to get hits. The red hot jack-of-all-trades has been a revelation for the Yankees, leading the American League in batting average (.331) and placing second on the club’s RBI list with 51. But, there was another, darker version of this season that didn’t feature the Yankees’ first-half MVP at all.
As it turns out, LeMahieu was almost on his way to Tampa Bay to be the everyday second baseman before Brian Cashman out-maneuvered the Rays and brought him to the Bronx. Robots do better in the city, apparently. I suppose they’re not partial to Florida’s damp heat.
CBS Sports | Dayn Perry: A night after tying the 2002 Texas Rangers’ record for most consecutive games with a home run, the Yankees broke the record. Last night marked the 28th straight game the Yankees went deep in. They still only sit fourth in MLB in home runs after the streak, but the run isn’t over yet. How long can they keep it up?
NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: Brian Cashman knows that the Yankees are an offensive juggernaut. It’s their pitching, however, that needs to improve to make them a serious World Series contender. Before the July 31st trade deadline, the Yankee GM apparently has his eye on a few arms to bolster the rotation, including: Toronto’s Marcus Stroman, San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner, Washington’s Max Scherzer, and Detroit’s Matthew Boyd. Scherzer’s probability of landing in the Bronx is low, but so was his chance of throwing 10 strikeouts with a broken nose and a black eye. So...
New York Post | Justin Tasch: Even Alex Rodriguez is surprised by the return of Alex Rodriguez. The rise of A-Rod 3.0—a term that I definitely, in no way, invented—is a far cry from the A-Rod of 2014, whose imagine was tattered by PED use, lawsuits, and bad press. On the latest Sports Illustrated cover story, Rodriguez details his comeback story and how in just five short years, he was able to turn from villain to the voice of baseball, betrothed to Jennifer Lopez.