In partnership with
Cody Bellinger won the All-Star Game MVP which was nice, but now it’s back to work as the Yankees try to chase down the Rays. Here are some mid-summer break observations on several players and issues. Lets get to it.
Hand to heart, I did not watch the All-Star Game Tuesday night because despite being a huge baseball fan, the annual exhibition game in the middle of the season has never really grabbed my attention, at least not since I was a kid in the 1970s.
Especially these days when many of the best players either skip the festivities because of injuries or to protect themselves from getting hurt, and the ones who do show up play a couple innings max and then we get a parade of lesser players finishing the game.
When I was younger, the All-Star rosters were smaller, the true stars played most of the game, and there was actually a pretty strong rivalry between the two leagues before inter-league play came along and winning the game was important to those players.
But hey, I was checking my phone occasionally while I was attending a function with my wife, and it was good to see Yankees Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice doing their part to give the AL what was probably a very boring 4-0 victory.
Bellinger’s two-run single was enough to earn him the MVP award because there were only 10 hits in the game (just three by the NL) with 19 of the 20 different pitchers who were used dominating the game. The exception was NL starter Christopher Sanchez who got roughed up for three runs in the first inning, the other scoring on Rice’s RBI single.
Now that the All-Star Game is over, it’s time to turn our attention back to what matters: The season. Here are a few All-Star break thoughts I have on the Yankees.
Jasson Dominguez is making improvements
For clarification, I mean at the plate because he remains a dreadful outfielder and needs to make big strides just to become competent. Every ball hit his way is an adventure, and it’s truly incredible that he just can’t seem to figure out how to track balls properly despite playing the outfield since he was a little kid in the Dominican Republic.
Stepping in for the injured Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez has held his own at the plate, and now he just needs to learn how to play adequately in the field.
But offensively, things have begun to turn and the most promising aspect of Dominguez’s offensive profile is that he’s hitting so much better from the right side of the plate. His inability to do that is what held him back in his first full season in 2025 and ultimately
This post is for paid subscribers
There's so much more to read, but to do so you must become a paid subscriber. I would really appreciate your support. Thanks!
Upgrade Here