Can't exactly put my finger on it, but something seems off with Yanks.

The Yankees have the best record in baseball and, yet, there seems to be something missing with this team, doesn't there?
I have tried to put my finger on it, but I can't come up with one singular thing that makes me say "oh, that's it." I think it is more a combination of  that,flaws that, when gelled together, make you feel less confident that their record should indicate.
Here are a couple of things that have me worried:

The Bullpen - This is probably the biggest "uh oh" for the team right now. Take Rivera out of the equation, as we always do, and who do Yankee fans feel is a "lock" to get big outs? Dave Robertson is pitching very well as of late, but he isn't far enough removed from having pitched poorly to make you confident the corner has been turned permanently. Using Chan Ho Park in any meaningful situation is almost akin to sabotage, and Boone Logan's only saving grace is that he has a terrific Sci-Fi hero name. Besides that, his pitching is kinda crappy.
If and when Alfredo Aceves comes back, he should stabalize a portion of the back-end of the pen, but the larger, more important question will be whether Joba Chamberlain improves or stays the inconsistent tight-rope walker he has become.
Last year, Phil Hughes stabalized the set-up role and allowed the Yankees the opportunity to save Mariano for only one-inning stints. This year, Joba was suppose to return to the role and be just as good as Hughes last season and the Joba 2007 version. It hasn't happened.
The problems that plagued Joba in the rotation last year plague him in the eitghth inning. He can't locate. He can't keep his velocity consistent. His fastball goes straight all too often and become hittable right in the middle of the plate.
Sure, there are those moments when he dominates, but there have been way too many where he has walked in and turned three or four-run leads into one-run deficits. Joe Girardi likes to treat questions about Jobas struggles as reactionary or uninformed, reacting to questions with dismissive comments like "we wish everyone was perfect all the time, but it's not going to happen," or "he struggled, and that happens to everyone. It happens to the best." That's all nice and fine, but great players don't have 6 ERAs, especially out of the bullpen pitching one inning. Great pitchers rattle off great outing after great outing, not one great outing for every two bad ones. That's not a great pitcher, or even a reliable pitcher. That is a powder keg ready to go off any eighth inning.
If Joba can become not just good but close to lights out, that puts everything else in line. It makes Damaso Marte a lefty specialist for late-inning matchups, instead of possible setup man. It makes Robertson that seventh inning place-holder or middle-inning, big-moment stopper, rather than someone constantly being moved around like a chess piece. And, it allows for the Yankees to either stay away from Park or Logan in big spots or move them out and give younger pitchers a chance without fear of putting inexperienced guys in pressure-cooker situations.
However, if Joba continues to be a one good game, one bad game pitcher, it puts a lot of pressure on everyone else and probably puts the Yanks in serious trade talks for a reliever.

The Offense - Look, the Yankees are going to score runs. They have too many good players not to. And, I'll be the first to admit that, if one were so inclined, they could look at the offense as a "glass half full" symbol rather than a cause for concern. If you remove Robinson Cano from the arguement, you can make the case that there isn't one Yankee regular having what could be considered a top year, let alone a career year. Okay, maybe Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner fit the bill, but the big bats of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson have been mediocre at best and Mark Teixeira has looked like a shadown of himself through almost three months of the season. You have to expect that a few, if not all of those All-Star caliber players will produce at a much higher level from this point forward, right?
What concerns me is the lack of fundamentals I've seen in the Yankee offense as a whole. They don't move runners over. They don't get them in from third with less than two outs. They routinely strand runners after doubles and even triples. They ground into a lot of double plays and they run themselves out of innings with some bonehead base running from time to time.
Last year, one through nine knew how to play small ball and big ball. They hit homers and pounded pitchers, yes, but in tight games, they knew how to "manufacture" runs.
I believe that such "manufacturing" can be overrated a lot. With the type of hitters the Yankees have, your offense shouldn't really hinge on bunts and sacrifice flys. You should be able to keep the runners moving with doubles and homers. That's why so many of these guys get paid so much.
But, against good teams with good pitching, you have to be able to produce runs in different ways. If your leadoff man doubles, you have to be able to get him to third, then home, without the benefit of a hit. It is a must. Chances are you won't pound out 10 or 12 hits against the better teams, so runs are at a premium. Yes, I expect a lot of these guys to hit better from now through the rest of the season, and that might correct some of these fundamentals. Jeter has been uncharacteristically sloppy with his at bats, failing to take walks, swinging wildly at bad pitches, and not producing in those "situational" hitting moments. Considering he is one of the most fundamentally sound players in history, an improvement on his end would improve the team. However, sometimes teams develop a personality, and that personality stays with them throughout the year. Last year, it was that comeback mentality that prevailed. This year, the team's personality seems far less encouraging.

AJ Burnett - The reason why Burnett's monumental struggles represent a bigger problem than just personal statistics, or a tough matchup every five days, is because of the uncertainty of Javier Vazquez and Phil Hughes. Hughes has been wonderful all year, and Vazquez has been brilliant since April, but neither can be looked upon as givens in big games down the stretch or in the playoffs. Vazquez could just as easily blow up against top competition as shut the other team down, and Hughes has never taken the ball in a playoff spot as a starter and been asked to go 7 or 8 big innings against a formidable lineup (plus, Hughes was very shaky in the playoffs last year in his setup role, which doesn't bode well for his ability to handle pressure situations).
As absolutely frustrating Burnett can be, he is an ace-quality starter when right. He can handle any lineup, and hitter. He was a collection of good and bad in big games last year, but he did manage many clutch performances.
If he continues to be dreadful, it gives the Yankees no room to manuvear. It ensures that Hughes and Vazquez have to be top shelf every time out. It means at least one of the two has to be big in big games. It means less depth. It means more strain on the pen. In short, it means a lot of bad things.

Joe Girardi - I don't think I have been shy in saying I am not the biggest fan of Girardi. I'm sorry, I know he won a championship last year, but there are a lot of mediocre to down right shaky managers who have a ring on their finger. Is it any wonder why Bob Brenly isn't managing a team any longer, despite his run with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001?
Girardi, to me, has little feel for the game. He always seems to be making the wrong decision, in that his moves more times than not turn out to produce a negative result. He pinch hits and nothing happens. He pulls pitchers before they are done, and hands it off to ineffective relievers. Or, the next time, he leaves his pitchers in too long and they give up the house. It's almost as if Girardi is constantly trying to find the standard, the book answer: "In this situation you do the following, always an unequivically." Well, in baseball it doesn't always work that way.
You have to be able to have a gut, a natural feel for moments, and Girardi doesn't have that. He also seems to manage scared a lot more than someone in his position should, making what seem to be panic moves. In fact, his entire demeanor in the dugout, at times, seems to indicate an uneasiness, as if he is always waiting for the next shoe to drop.
As a fan, the manager is always an easy target. I criticized Joe Torre when he was bringing championships to New York, and still believe he had a difficult time handling a bullpen when it wasn't full of clutch veteran performers. And, I'll admit, Torre's grandfatherly approach seemed disconnected when the team wasn't winning, as opposed to stalwart and even-headed when they were. However, in the 12 years he was manager, I had more moments where I admired his ability to get something out of nothing than I did to criticize his approach. For a refresher course, go back and look at the teams Torre took to the playoffs in 2005 and 2006. There were a lot of holes on tjose rosters because of injury and underperformance. He was able to piece a lot together and get the most out of players.
Girardi, to me, is a guy much better suited for a younger team. His "always be positive" attitude seems to be more in line with a up-and-coming group than a veteran club that might need a swift kick in the butt from time to time. His inability to challenge and ultimately discipline Robinson Cano in 2008 until the season was lost showed a lack of back bone, his constantly juggling of his lineup to keep guys "fresh" or "ready" reeks of little league everyone-plays rules rather than smart strategy, and his "smile and a pat works better than a snarl and a smack" routine doesn't seem to hold people as accountable as one would like.
Last year, there was a magic to the team that, in my opinion, helped them overcome his quicky managerial style and his often counterproductive moves. I don't get the sense they can do the same this year. His moves have already helped to compound bad situations, and in a tight pennant race with Boston and Tampa, that could honestly be the difference.