Is it Getting Late Early for the Yankees?

One of the best things about baseball is that there are a ton of games to be played in a season.

Just because a team gets off to a slow start in April does not mean that they will not be part of the MLB postseason conversation come August into September. With 162 games in a given season, a lot can happen.

With that said, at 1-3 to start 2013, one has to wonder if the New York Yankees are going to be talked about when it comes to the playoffs this year. Sure, they are dealing with a lot of injuries and are just four games in but if you are a Yankees' fan, there is a lot to be concerned about.

Now, before I get into the body of this piece, it should be known that I have always been a Yankees' fan. They are my favorite baseball team, I have been to a ton of games and no matter what the team is going through, I will support them. With that said, I am definitely fearful that come October, this Yankees' team will not be playing baseball when it matters most.

For starters, having the likes of Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Phil Hughes and Alex Rodriguez out of the lineup to start the season does not help things. Four of these five players are major contributors when it comes to the team's offense while Hughes is a pitcher that should be able to win between 15-18 games a season.

Secondly, no one is quite sure what is going on with Yankees' ace CC Sabathia. His velocity is down, he had trouble finishing off hitters on opening days, and he had trouble controlling his pitches.

While there is a very good chance that Sabathia will recover nicely, one has to think about the number of innings Sabathia has racked up in the last four years. Since 2009, CC has pitched 230, 237.2, 237.1 and 200 innings, respectively. That's a ton of innings for a very big man.

Lastly, if one looks at the Yankees' roster right now, there is really nothing to be too scared of. Sure,Yankees' second baseman Robinson Cano will put scare any team that pitches to him but other than him, this lineup should not be looked at as a dangerous one.

Again, I am a big fan of the team but based on the team's injuries, a slowing ace and a lineup that does not appear to have much punch as it used to, I think it is going to get late early for the Yankees.