Could Yankees' 'Fatal Flaw' Hinder Their World Series Hopes?

The New York Yankees' most "Fatal Flaw" could potentially prove disastrous for them this postseason.

Sep 6, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) and New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrate after scoring agianst the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Despite the New York Yankees being just one game over .500 since June 1 (44-43), they still boast an impressive 84-62 and are bona fide World Series contenders.

This success is especially impressive given that some players on New York's roster haven't performed up to par this season, especially in the past few months.

This is in large part because of the extraordinary seasons from New York's dynamic duo, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. These two sluggers have each turned in MVP-caliber seasons and carried the Yankees offense through some rough patches.

But what happens if Judge and Soto simmer down or catch a cold streak during the postseason? That possibility is exactly why Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller said in a September 12 article that the Yankees' 'Fatal Flaw' heading into the postseason is them being, "Too Dependent on Two Hitters".

"Yes, you could play this game with a lot of teams," Miller wrote. "But it's most blatantly clear with the Yankees, where both Aaron Judge and Juan Soto entered play Tuesday will an OPS north of 1.000 while the rest of the team had a combined mark of .684.

"There are a few noteworthy guys in between those two extremes. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been outstanding since his arrival from Miami. Giancarlo Stanton missed more than a month with an injury, but he has homered at a 162-game pace of 40. Austin Wells has an OPS of nearly .900 dating back to July 4," Miller continued.

"It's not nearly the 'Judge, Soto or Bust' scenario so many of us have been painting it as all season long.

"Beyond that quintet, though, every Yankee with at least 20 plate appearances has an OPS below .700, including near-everyday staples Gleyber Torres, Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo."

Miller concluded by writing, "Though they've gotten a decent amount of help lately, it still feels like Judge and Soto will need to carry this offense through October—and to enough of a degree to make up for the fact that they don't have a closer, which is probably the true fatal flaw here."

While no team is perfect, there's a chance that the Yankees' dependence on Judge and Soto (combined with their struggles at closer) performing at the plate could spell disaster for New York's hopes of returning to the World Series for the first time since 2009.