Batting average with runners in scoring position is one of the first metrics trumpeted when discussing a team’s offense or the nebulous notion of “clutch.” The common belief among many is that teams who can maintain a high average with runners in scoring position will be able to maintain a better offense and win more games.
Despite the Yankees’ 11-7 start, buoyed by what is currently the second-best offense in baseball, there have been rumblings among New York Yankee fans that such a good start is unsustainable because of the team’s .221 average with runners in scoring position, 30 points below the league average .