Around the Empire: Yankees news - 6/19/22

New York Post | Dan Martin: After winning on Saturday afternoon, the Yankees are now 49-16 and look unstoppable. People are, inevitably, going to compare this 2022 team with the one that won 114 games back in 1998. When asked about whether there are similarities between the two versions, former first baseman Tino Martinez said the two share the same mindset.

“They look like they’re on a mission,’’ said the Monument Park honoree. “We had the same mindset that year. It didn’t matter if we were up 20 games or whatever in July. We wanted to go up 30 [games]. We knew we had to keep pushing and not just cruise to the end of the regular season.”

Will the 2022 team deliver a World Series championship just like that one?

CBS Sports: The Yankees, always on the lookout for talent and potential options for depth, signed veteran infielder Chris Owings to a minor league deal, according to Conor Foley of The Scranton Times-Tribune. Foley speculates that this will help the Yankees increase prospect Oswald Peraza’s versatility, as with Oswaldo Cabrera out, there weren’t many shortstop alternatives on the roster.

Owings started the season with the Baltimore Orioles, but was recently released. The Yankees are taking a chance on him on a no-risk, minor league move. He played 27 games with the O’s major league club, hitting .107 with two doubles, six runs and a stolen base. He was once a promising player, but is currently 30 and has a career .653 OPS.

Newsday | Erik Boland: Clay Holmes just refuses to allow another run. Yesterday, he pitched 1.1 additional scoreless innings, taking his streak to 31.1 and breaking a tie with the great Mariano Rivera for most consecutive relief appearances without conceding a run in franchise history, with 29. Mo set his mark in the championship season of 1999, when he threw shutout ball from July 22nd onward.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Gleyber Torres is having a strong season with the glove at second base after years of failing as a big league shortstop, a position he grew up playing. His manager Aaron Boone explained why he is thriving at the keystone.

“Well, shortstop is a tougher position,” Boone said. “To be a big-league shortstop, it’s akin to being a great cornerback. It’s a premium position that not many people can play at a high level at this level. I think probably (Torres’) skillset lines up a little bit more for second base.”

Asked if he could still play shortstop in an emergency, Boone said that he still thinks Torres “has a skillset in a pinch to go over there (to shortstop) because he has arm strength and he’s got good hands. Hopefully at some point we’ll get him over there to keep that option going, but I think he’s played outstanding this year and obviously he’s swung the bat really well for us.” He then went on to admit that taking off the pressure of playing shortstop may be helping his offense.