The 2024 MLB postseason is right around the corner, and the New York Yankees are playing a quality brand of baseball. Aaron Judge is swinging a hot bat at the moment, and the team appears to be poised for a deep playoff run. Yankees fans believe in the team. However, is there any reason for concern?

The Yankees' offense has seen drastic improvement in 2024 as compared to 2023. Sure, the lineup still has some question marks. Still, any offense that includes both Aaron Judge and Juan Soto is going to have an opportunity to find success.

The Yankees starting pitching rotation and bullpen should also both be able to give the team opportunities to win. New York will likely be the favorite to reach the World Series in the American League. However, some of their potential postseason opponents could give them trouble.

Let's take a look at the reason why the Yankees are doomed in the 2024 MLB playoffs.

Yankees' potential playoff opponents can pitch at an elite level

The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians are currently second and third in ERA in the American League. The Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals are fifth and sixth. It is worth mentioning that the Yankees are fourth in the statistic.

Nevertheless, the Yankees' possible postseason opponents can pitch at an elite level. Teams such as Cleveland and Houston feature intriguing bullpens with dominant closers. Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase may even earn AL Cy Young consideration.

Speaking of the AL Cy Young, Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is a big favorite to win the award. He has enjoyed a terrific 2024 campaign and could win the pitching Triple Crown (leading the AL in wins, ERA and strikeouts).

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So what's the problem for the Yankees, though? After all, the offense has improved in 2024. Well, Aside from Judge and Soto, the lineup lacks an element of reliability.

Batting average is not a highly discussed statistic in today's game. It still can be telling of how consistent a lineup is, though. Teams with a number of players with high batting averages tend to force opposing pitching rotations to work hard to record outs.

Judge is the only Yankees batter who is hitting over .300 (he is hitting .325 currently). Soto, meanwhile, is hitting a respectable .288. No other qualified players in the lineup are hitting over .260 (Jazz Chisholm Jr. has hit .262 since being traded to the Yankees but is hitting .253 overall between New York and the Miami Marlins).

Again, batting average does not determine the outcome of games. The Yankees are still going to hit for plenty of power. Three players in the lineup have hit more than 25 home runs in 2024 (Judge, Soto and Giancarlo Stanton). However, many Yankees hitters simply are not all that consistent.

Inconsistency of Yankees' lineup

The Yankees added Alex Verdugo in the offseason to be a player who could bring a new element to the lineup. New York already featured plenty of boom-or-bust bats in the lineup, but Verdugo was supposed to be someone who could hit for a respectable average and provide consistency. However, he is currently slashing just .234/.293/.359.

There are many players in the lineup who can fit into this inconsistent narrative. Second-year shortstop Anthony Volpe has been unreliable at the plate. Even Stanton, despite hitting 27 home runs, has not swung the bat all that well.

In other words, if teams pitch carefully to Judge and Soto, one has to wonder if any player will be able to step up and make opponents pay on a consistent basis. In fact, teams may even work around Soto and Judge if other Yankees fail to produce.

And with some of the best pitching teams in baseball set to play the Yankees in the postseason, New York will have serious questions to answer.