New York Yankees Tickets - Bright Outlook by Brent Warnken

While it's bound to change soon, the tone of Yankees commentary since last season's failed playoff bid has been overwhelmingly negative. A-Rod was a popular target, the new Yankee Stadium was constantly (and unfairly) criticized for having too many empty seats, and the Yanks began the 2009 regular season with a number of bad games. As of May 9th, 2009, the Yankees are 14-16, in third place in the American League East behind the hot hitting Boston Red Sox and fast starting Toronto Blue Jays. Even though things could be better at this point, the Yankees should hold their heads high. It looks as though things are going to turn around sooner rather than later.

The big story with the New York Yankees this year has been the trouble with their pitchers. Blame can be spread out over a wide number of players. From CC Sabathia's slow start to Chien-Ming Wang's injuries and un-Wang-like control to Jose Veras' mistakes, the Yankees just haven't had much help on defense this year. As a team, the Yankees rank last in the AL in runs allowed. However, there are some good performers on the team. Joba Chamberlain has a team-leading 3.77 ERA, and closer Mariano Rivera has 17 strikeouts in 11.1 innings. CC Sabathia's May 8th start against Baltimore went swimmingly as he pitched a complete game shutout against Baltimore.

While the team is hitting above the curve, providing plenty of run support despite playing without A-Rod for the first month and a half, the pitchers have not lived up to their salaries. The good news? Alex Rodriguez is back and appears to have hit the ground running. Even if the pitching doesn't improve over night, the offense might be able to carry the team all the way to the playoffs on run-scoring ability alone.

As a team the Yankees are fourth in the AL in total runs scored. They're third in the AL in team on base percentage and slugging percentage, and they've hit the second most home runs. Even though Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter have had rough beginnings, the Yankees can still hit with the best of them. Once Jeter, Teixeira and Hideki Matsui get back into the swing of things, the Yankees could well become the best offensive team in baseball.

The Yankees are a good five and a half games out of first place in the division, but they might have the highest upside at this point. Unlike many of their competitors, the Yankees appear to actually be getting healthier. When you go to StubHub.com to purchase New York Yankees tickets, you're going to see a team ready to hit its stride. Experts are starting to predict a June surge for the Yanks, and they're probably going to be right.

The Yankees will have to go on the road to play the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series between May 12th and May 14th. The series could help the Yankees get back on track and gain ground in the division. While it's way too early to be panicking as a Yankees fan, it's never too soon to get optimistic about the Bronx Bombers' ability to make a comeback.

Written by Brent Warnken. StubHub has sponsored this article. StubHub.com is a great place to get New York Yankees tickets, as well as tickets for other sports teams, theatre performances, concerts and special events.

Article Source: ArticleSnatch Free Article Directory