Will The Yankees Heat Up?

So far this year, the Yanks have just looked mediocre. In years past, it seems like they've either looked incredible or downright ugly, like last April. And the '06 Yanks aren't showing the lethargy of last year's team. Last year, while it was fun to watch the Devil Rays and Royals kick the tar out of the Yanks in the early going, you had a feeling things would turn around. And of course, they did.

But as things stand today, the Yanks are 7-7. Will they stay a .500 team?

I think this year, it's very possible. After all, how many players are currently underperforming? The offense is pretty much all there. The Yanks are hitting .298, third-best in the game. They're not going to score 15 runs every night. Maybe they'll score 9-10 runs twice a week, maybe 3 times if they're facing crappy pitching. Which is exactly what has gone on so far.

And the pitching has been what you'd expect. Mussina has been inconsistent as usual, though he pitched a great game Wednesday. Johnson can dominate occasionally, but isn't reliable. And the rest of the rotation is still a question mark. In fact, they might be overperforming; the Yanks' 4.05 team ERA is second-best in the AL.

So clearly, the Yanks can hit and occasionally pitch. They're playing pretty much up to par so far this year. Will they turn into a 100-win machine? If the numbers in the early going have any relevance, then I don't think so.