Aaron Boone

Yankees’ Aaron Boone gives date for first team workouts in the Bronx, more quotes, players arrive at the stadium (video)

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

On a conference call with New York Yankees Aaron Boone on Wednesday, the manager stated that the first scheduled team workout with occur on Saturday, to start spring training 2.0.

The Yankees have waited several months to return to action, and while they had to leave Florida due to the spike in coronavirus cases, they will start round two in the Bronx.

Boone also mentioned, regarding the civil issues the country is facing, that he encouraged the players to speak up and remain vocal in inspiring change.

We can expect the players to be making a difference with their platforms and to use the upcoming season to their advantage.

In addition, the players arrived at Yankee Stadium earlier on Wednesday morning, preparing to start rehabilitation for injured players and working our way toward playing form for the regular season which is expected to start in late July.

Additional quotes from the conference call:

“Our guys have been like awesome in this and have been guys who have stimulated and encouraged conversation and I think what we’re going through as a country… I really hope and believe we’re all gonna come out of it better for going through these times.”

“I feel like there’s so many people involved and listening and talking and that’s something we’ve already started to do within our organization and it’s something we’ll continue to encourage.”

Boone also gave a motivated answer:

“We’re a very hungry group and we want to climb to the top of the mountain. That goal doesn’t change. We want to be champions.”

New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone wants to take pressure off players: “One day at a time”

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

As we have said many times, the 2020 MLB season won’t be a marathon. It will be a sprint race, with only 60 games as opposed to the usual 162. The margin for error will be, evidently, diminished, and any cold streak could lead to trouble for those teams looking to make the playoffs, like the New York Yankees.

However, manager Aaron Boone doesn’t want his players to feel that they need to win every game. Yes, people have said that the Yankees should feel more pressure now that the schedule is shorter, but Boone prefers that his players keep approaching the calendar one day at a time.

“Certainly my message is you can’t live in that world where, ‘We’ve got to play well,’ or ‘We can’t lose too many games in this stretch,’” the skipper said Thursday on a TickPick video chat. “We got to focus on the day, and the next thing for us is July 3 when we start.”

The manager provided the answer after being questioned if the New York Yankees needed to get off to a fast start.
“That’s obviously going to be the talk on overdrive from day one,” Boone said. “You lose Opening Day and (you hear) ‘You can’t afford to lose too many.‘” But he doesn’t want his players to feel that way.

“We have a plan in place of how we want to attack our summer training,” Boone said. “It’s a shortened version. It’s very important that we use it wisely to get guys built up safely, to get guys in the best position to come out of the gates and get off to that good start.

“But our first focus is July 3 and kind of winning that day and making sure we start laying another solid foundation to put ourselves in a good spot when the season starts. I feel confident that our plan is coming together.”

The Yankees will go step by step, but the goal is clear

The Yankees are looking to get to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Once there, they now things would be closer to normal, at least schedule-wise.

“We feel like we have a team capable of being a world champion,” Boone said. “That’s the focus. That’s the drive. We have a hungry group that is eager to climb to the top of the mountain.”

He says that there will be no added pressure other than the existing one, because the Yankees are always expected to be champions.

“You put the NY on, that comes with the territory,” he said. “We embrace that, and one of the things we talk often about. We will never run from expectations, especially when we know we have a team that’s capable of doing a lot. They understand that. They embrace that, and in this shortened season we’ll continue to embrace it.”

New York Yankees: Gary Sanchez draws “unfair ire from people”, per Aaron Boone

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New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone defended his starting catcher in the last few hours, saying that Gary Sanchez receives an unfair amount of criticism for his performance, especially behind the plate.

Basically, the Yankees’ skipper said that Sanchez doesn’t get enough credit for improving his game since he broke into the scene in the major leagues, especially knowing he has had to miss important development time because of injuries.

“I feel like he draws some unfair ire at times from people,” Boone told Brandon Steiner on a video chat sponsored by Tick Picks, on Thursday. He notes he has made strides “and what we see behind the scenes and what has shown up, frankly, on the field” doesn’t get enough publicity in the press.

“He’s gotten a lot better on the defensive side,” the manager kept going about his starting catcher, “and there’s still so much room for him to continue to grow.”

According to the numbers, Sanchez had a mixed 2019 in which he took a step forward in blocking (just seven passed balls in 742 2/3 innings compated to 18 in 653 in 2018) and a step back in framing (-6.8 in framing measurement, No. 16 in the league, as opposed to 2.6 in 2018).

The Yankees’ catcher is a star

At the batter’s box, the New York Yankees’ backstop remains a force, one of the best in the league. Since 2017, he leads MLB with 85 homers.

“He could be the best catcher in the sport,” Boone said. “He’s that talented. He’s had some unfortunate nagging injuries that have come up a little bit the last two years that have altered his season a little bit. He’s still amassed a lot of home runs and at-bats and stuff over the last two years.

“But he’s missed some time, killed some momentum at times. For a young player, and I think for Gary, who burst onto the scene, who was a highly touted prospect (and) came up and took the league by storm, I think sometimes what people forget is catcher is such a demanding position. You don’t often see very young catchers come up and become a central figure on a team.”

The Yankees And Mets Are Stepping Up To The Plate During The Pandemic

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New York Yankees, Brett Gardner

Right now we’re heading into the end of May and we’d just be wrapping up the second month of the Yankees and Mets season. Two months with no baseball in May is a weird feeling.  Like many of you, fans and players alike, I’m really missing baseball. 

Some players have been keeping baseball around by watching old games, playing MLB The Show, or simply just playing catch. 

New York has been hit the hardest by this Coronavirus. And times like this really show what people are made of.  After 9/11 people really came together, really stepped up. If I could take away one thing from this tragic time, it’s all the good that people are doing. 

In times like these, you look to your idols. And our superstars of New York, past and present have really stepped up. From legends like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter to future legends, Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge. Different players have been helping out in different ways, from donating food and medical supplies to auctioning off memorabilia for charity.  

How have the Yankees and Mets stepped up?

Former Yankees, CC Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera have been hands-on, with donating meals to those in need. Sabathia and his wife Amber, with the help of their PitCCh In Foundation, has been donating meals to the Boys And Girls Club once a week in the Bronx and their hometown in California. They’ve also teamed up with Fresh Direct for their “Operation 5 Borough Food Drive” which is helping feed kids across New York City.

Along with celebrating health care workers and donating headphones to students in New York City, Yankees rookie of the year and star outfielder Aaron Judge joined in on the “All In Challenge”. As well as Yankees manager Aaron Boone, CC Sabathia, the New York Yankees organization, and others. The “All in Challenge” is where fans can donate money for raffle tickets for a chance to win once in a lifetime experiences like on-field passes, dinner with the players, and more. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to No Kid Hungry, Meals on wheels, Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, and America’s Food Fund.

Aaron Judge’s foundation the “All Rise Foundation” has granted the Boys and Girls Club of America a mini-grant to help launch the “club on the go” program. A program that provides kits to kids with healthy snacks and learning activities to help prevent kids from falling behind during the pandemic.

Another former Yankees legend, Derek Jeter is auctioning off the 2014 All-Star jersey that he wore in his final All-Star game to raise money for the “All In Challenge”

Along with that, Jeter has stated he will be forgoing his salary during the pandemic, and the Marlins have committed $1 million to help the ballpark employees during this time. 

Giancarlo Stanton also donated 15,000 reusable face shields to health care workers in both New York City, and Southern California. Also both the Mets and Yankees have created funds for their employees to get paid during this time that there is no baseball. 

And the new Yankees Pitcher Gerrit Cole may not have even played his first game in pinstripes yet but is stepping up. Cole and his wife, through their foundation, the “Gerrit and Amy Cole Foundation” are donating to Direct Relief, which is an organization that coordinates with nonprofit organizations, and public health authorities to provide essential medical items and PPE to healthcare workers responding to Covid-19.

Pete Alonso may also be a newer addition to New York but has stepped up to the plate in a big way during this pandemic. Looking to give back, Pete and his Fiancé launched their new foundation “Homers For Heroes”. A foundation looking to honor our everyday heroes such as front line workers, veterans, teachers, and coaches.

In March Alonso sent a video message to an 82-year-old life long Mets fan who was just diagnosed with cancer, after her granddaughter took to twitter to reach out to the Mets. The one thing that could really help her during this time was watching her team play. But being that there was no baseball due to the pandemic, Alonso did the next best thing.  Alonso is not only a great player on the field but a great guy off the field as well.

Another Met and Fellow New Yorker, Steven Matz donated $32,000 to hospitals and first responders in NYC through his TRU32 charity. A charity that he started in 2016 to honor the FDNY, NYPD, and Military.

The one story that really stood out to me, was Nick’s Gourmet Deli in East Elmhurst that was closing their doors for good the day the Mets called and asked his deli to provide 1,000 meals. With even more meals in the days to follow. 

The Mets have also donated food from other small businesses which are also helping them to stay open. 

They also helped donate cases of produce to food banks in the local area along with 4,500 meals to health care staff on the front lines. I really applaud the Mets for this move, they are truly paying it forward and helping out their community. 

I always say I’m a die-hard New Yorker, that being a New Yorker is just part of who I am. And these teams represent our city, and couldn’t be more proud of the guys representing it.

Alexa, play New York, New York. 

New York Yankees: Will Aaron Boone remain Yankee Manager at the end of 2020?

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New York Yankees, Aaron boone

At the beginning of December 2017, the New York Yankees officially replaced Joe Girardi with Aaron Boone.  He signed a three-year contract with the Yankees for $1.15 million a year with a team option for 2021.  That amount is high for a rookie manager but low compared to many in the MLB, including the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Scioscia, who earns $6MM a year for a team that has won one World Championships in 60 years.  Scioscia last brought the Angels to the World Series 18 years ago.

Many Yankee fans were sorry to see Joe Girardi go, and just as dissatisfied with the Yankee’s pick of Aaron ‘who” Boone.  Some Yankees had remembered him as a player that was unremarkable except for his famous home run that brought the Yankees to the World Series against the Red Sox.  Their main concern was that he had no managerial experience, not even being a baseball coach.  But, in his first year, he managed a team that produced 100 wins, he gained some respect among Yankee fans.

Upon his hiring New York Yankee owner and General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said:

“I firmly believe that Aaron possesses the attributes needed to follow in the tradition of great Yankees managers,” Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. “From all accounts, he is a polished communicator who possesses the ability to cultivate and grow relationships. Aaron has also spent a lifetime immersed in baseball, affording him a unique and intimate understanding of what fosters team success.

 

“Aaron’s name is already etched into Yankees history, and my family and I are excited to welcome him back to this franchise. This opportunity will allow him to continue to make a positive impact on this organization in distinctly new and meaningful ways.”

Enter the 2019 season.  Boone would be faced with unimagined problems in managing a team that would have an unprecedented number of injuries, 39 to 30 different players.  Boone had to continually bring up players from the minor leagues and shift his lineups almost every day.  In that task, Aaron Boone was masterful, and he brought his team to even more wins (103) and take them to the postseason.  The New York Yankees would sweep the Minnesota Twins in four games in the ALDS.

After winning the ALDS, they moved on to face the Houston Astros in the ALCS.  The Yankees shut out the Astros in Game one 7-0. By the time Game 5 came about, the Yankees would find themselves in an elimination game in which the Yankees James Paxton would best the Astros at Yankee Stadium.  The series moved to the last two games at Minuteman Field in Houston.  In Game 6, it would be the top of the ninth that the Yankees would tie the game up when first baseman DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run homer.  But at the bottom of the frame, Altuve’s walk-off Astros home would take them to the World Series.

Many in baseball think that the Houston Astros cheated in the ALCS and that the may have worn electronic devices that alerted hitters what pitch was coming, thus cheating the Yankees of a World Series berth.  MLB later proved that the Yankees were cheated in the 2017 ALCS.  Leading to the further belief that they continued to cheat, although MLB could not find enough evidence to support the claim.  Whatever the case, the Yankees went to the 6th game of the ALCS, proving that Boone’s management success wasn’t just a fluke and further endearing him to fans.

This year with the coronavirus, the season, if played at all, will be greatly shortened with an expanded postseason.  Regardless, Boone’s contract is up whether a season is played or not.  The Yankees do have a team option to hold on to him for a 2021 season when his contract will expire.  19 managers in MLB make more money than Aaron Boone, most of which haven’t made the postseason in years.  With the exception of Davey Martinez, who won the World Series last year for the Washington Nationals.  He earns only $850k a year.

With Boone’s success, the New York Yankees are bound to take up their option and keep Boone for the 2021 season unless he fails miserably in 2020.  What happens after that depends on Boone’s performance and whether the Yankees will be willing to pay Boone, who undoubtedly will demand a salary commensurate with managers that usually take their teams to the postseason.

New York Yankees: Aaron Judge could still miss time in a significantly delayed regular season

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

Taking a look at Aaron Judge and why he could still miss time during the 2020 season with the New York Yankees:

When the Yankees initially diagnosed Aaron Judge with a stress fracture on a rib, nobody anticipated such negative news. He had been feeling some discomfort for months without realizing a fracture in a bone —  that’s a significant miss. This is a testament to the previous strength and conditioning regimen, who were unable to decipher the physical strain he was experiencing.

Fast forward several months, and Judge has been gifted the opportunity to heal while the MLB suspends operations. The Yankees were scheduled to open the season without Judge, Aaron Hicks, James Paxton, Giancarlo Stanton, and Luis Severino. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned the additional time to heal has been a silver lining for the Bombers, who have been experiencing higher rates of injuries the past few seasons.

“This time down has allowed that rib, that bone to hopefully continue to heal,” Boone said. “All signs are encouraging there. Hopefully, this time down allows that rib to heal properly and hopefully have him part of all this as well.”

Despite Judge slowly making a recovery, reports have indicated that the league could open back up in the coming weeks. A suggested July 1 opening day has been floated in the media, but nothing is confirmed yet. With Judge still recovering, it is possible he could miss regular-season games, which attest to how significant the injury was and how much time he would have missed if the league had started on time. He would not be ready for spring training if it were to begin today, and he was far from participating in Grapefruit League play back in February and March.

Aside from the broken rib, Judge also suffered a collapsed lung that has healed over the past few months. He received injections prior to the postseason, so he could mitigate the pain interfering with his performance. Throughout the off-season, he did not experience any discomfort, but when he began to ramp up activities before spring training, the pain started to settle in. Last year, Judge was limited to 102 games due to an oblique strain.

Getting out of this injury funk is a priority for Eric Cressey and the new strength and conditioning staff.

New York Yankees: Aaron Boone provides an injury update on four key players

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks hits a home-run against the Tampa Bay Rays.

New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone gave us an injury update on four key players in a recent radio interview.

Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton was diagnosed with a grade one calf strain in spring training. He had just two plate appearances and was expected to miss an extended period of time.

“He’s doing really well and should be good to go whenever we get ready to go back,” said Boone of Stanton.

Aaron Hicks

Hicks injured his arm in August, and the team thought that he would be able to avoid Tommy John surgery. He was able to return for part of the postseason, but more tests after the season showed that he did need Tommy John.

“He’s doing really well,” said Boone. “He’s already doing soft toss from both sides of the plate and throwing out to 90+ feet.”

Hicks could potentially be the first player to undergo Tommy John surgery in the offseason and still play on Opening Day.

James Paxton

Paxton underwent surgery in February to remove a peridiscal cyst in his back.

“James Paxton, who’s gonna be ready in mid-May, is on that timeline,” said the third-year skipper. “He’s already thrown five or six bullpens, and I think he actually threw a sim game yesterday to a couple guys where he is. His rehab has gone really really well.”

Aaron Judge

Judge was sidelined at the beginning of Spring Training due to a fractured rib and collapsed lung sustained in September of 2019.

“He’s due for another CT scan, I believe in couple more weeks,” said Boone. “This time down has allowed that rib, that bone, to continue to heal.”

With the season possibly beginning next month, the Yankees hope that players will be able to report soon if they choose to.

Yankees’ skipper Aaron Boone expresses confidence that 2020 season will happen

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

New York Yankees’ skipper Aaron Boone speaks about the possibility of a season in 2020:

With rumors beginning to bubble to the surface that baseball could return in the coming weeks, excitement has started to brew. It has been seven weeks since the MLB shut down operations and prematurely ended Grapefruit League and Spring Training play. This significantly sets back teams and players looking to leave their mark and potentially make the active roster.

However, Yankees field manager Aaron Boone joined ESPN to speak about the potential of returning to baseball and if a season will, in fact, go on in 2020.

“Yeah, we are certainly hopeful that it seems like as more time goes off the clock and as we learn more every day, hopefully it’s bringing more information and more opportunity,” Boone said. “It does seem like maybe more plans are becoming feasible, so we’ll just have to see how the next days and weeks play out. Hopefully, we could have, as [you said] the best of those bad plans. I think a lot of us, and I know a lot of sports fans would love to see some way shape or form, us back and performing again.”

There have been rumors that the MLB could rearrange the divisions, where each division has 10 teams, and the season could begin in late June or early July. The hope is that teams will be able to play in their home park by the summer, but the reality is Arizona seems like the best fit at this point.

According to a source at MLB network, the season will go on; it is just a matter of when and how they will arrange each division so that a shortened season makes sense logistically.

New York state governor Andrew Cuomo stated that there is a possibility Yankee Stadium and Citi Field could be open this summer for games to go on. While fans might not be in attendance, the injection of entertainment into society at this moment would be extremely beneficial and heartwarming.

New York Yankees: Aaron Boone checks on Adam Ottavino and Gerrit Cole’s respective programs

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

By now, the New York Yankees were supposed to be playing official MLB games. However, due to concerns about the coronavirus’ outbreak that has killed thousands of people around the world, the league decided to follow CDC’s recommendations and suspend its activities indefinitely.

While MLB and the players’ association are seeking several avenues for baseball to return this year, it is unclear if medical and public health officials will allow it, and it is not a given that minimal conditions for the safety of players, fans and staffers are met. For now, the Yankees and the other 29 teams are patiently waiting.

Meanwhile, New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone keeps doing his job: managing the team. Lately, he spoke about the health of James Paxton, Aaron Judge and other injured stars, providing hope that they can be healthy whenever the season starts.

He is at home with his family, according to MLB.com, but Boone has also occasionally joined hurlers Gerrit Cole and Adam Ottavino to help them in their respective programs. In fact, both pitchers threw bullpen sessions with the manager on Wednesday.

Basically, Boone is monitoring the “offseason” activities of his players. He is helping them stay sharp in case the season starts relatively soon, which is a possibility.

“They’re both doing really well,” Boone said. “Physically, they’re in a good place as far as workload and keeping their arms going. It’s putting them in a good position once we get going.”

The Yankees’ skipper is taking advantage of Zoom calls

The Yankees’ manager also stated he has been busy getting in touch with everybody in the organization, including players, through Zoom calls. The communication has been very active in the last month.

Boone explained that the Yankees had a rather large call last week with several players taking part, in addition to coaches, strength and conditioning staff and front-office personnel. According to the Yankees’ on-field leader, it was a “casual, fun call,” that offered players a chance to ask questions and share their progress.

“It was a little bit of a state of the union, I guess, from my standpoint,” Boone said. “It was more a chance for guys to get on and just talk smack to one another, see how everyone’s doing, see everyone — which I think was cool for everyone. I know they have their different FaceTime and video game things they do together, but it was good to get on and see those guys, and have Tommy [Kahnle] come in and be silly on there.”

Yankees News/Rumors: Boone on the cheating Red Sox, Injury updates and much more

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Boone on the cheating Red Sox

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone weighed in on the Red Sox sign-stealing scheme that was released on Wednesday by Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.  The commissioner’s report said that Boston’s video-replay operator in 2018, J.T. Watkins, at times during that season, used the game feeds in the replay room “in violation of MLB regulations, to revise sign sequence information that he had permissibly provided to players before the game.’’

MLB found that the Boston cheating scheme was not as egregious as the sign-stealing that was committed by the Houston Astros that may have cost the New York Yankees a berth in the 2017 World Series.  Many feel that the punishments issued by MLB against the Astros was too light and did not strip them of their Championship.  Likewise, the punishments given to the Boston team were also too light. 

MLB suspended Watkins from operating the video replay machine through the 2021 season.  The MLB did not fine the team or any of the players or front office with the exception of manager Alex Cora who had already been fired by the Red Sox.  He was suspended for one season but not for what he did as a Red Sox.  The only real punishment given was the loss of a second-round draft pick. The cheating may have cost the Yankees wins in 2018 that saw the Yankees lose to the Red Sox in the ALDS.

Boone was asked yesterday on the YES Network if he thought the MLB punishments fit the crime?  Boone responded:

“I don’t know. Who knows exactly what went down? I do trust that Major League Baseball thoroughly investigated and got to the bottom of things as best they can. I feel like if that’s what they come up with, so be it. It’s time to move on.’’

New York Yankees injury updates:

New York Yankee pitcher James Paxton who underwent back surgery late in the offseason, was expected to miss at least three to four months of the season.  With his rehab going well, that was reduced to two to three months.  New York Yankees’ new pitching coach Matt Blake from his home in Cleveland said the Paxton had been playing catch for some time now, and his rehab is going well.  Paxton will benefit from the coronavirus shutdown and may now not miss any playing time at all, depending on when the regular season starts.

Aaron Judge suffered a fractured rib and a partially collapsed lung while diving for a catch near the end of last season.  After a series of MRIs were performed during spring training that saw Judge not take part in any games, it was determined that the shoulder issues he was having were really caused by the cracked rib.  The collapsed lung resolved itself nicely, and when spring training was halted, his rib was already healing.   Judge as well has benefited from the time off.  Boone said when speaking with the YES Network’s Meredith Marakovitz said:

“He’s in Tampa, we’re using this time, he’s using this time to continue to heal. I don’t really have much more for you other than, obviously, it’s been very productive having the chance to have this time to allow that rib to heal. That is happening. But as for where he’s at exactly, we don’t have anything for you on that yet.”

In other injury news, Aaron Hicks that was supposed to miss a large chunk of the season due to rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, is now expected to miss only a small portion of the shortened season if he misses any of it.  He is throwing and progressing nicely.  Outfielder and DH Giancarlo Stanton has completely recovered from his grade one calf strain and is ready to go, according to Boone.   Unfortunately, ace Luis Severino will miss the entire season due to Tommy John surgery that was performed during spring training.

What are Yankee pitchers doing during the shutdown

New York Yankee pitchers are trying to stay in form during the coronavirus shutdown.  Newly acquired ace Gerrit Cole is at his new home in Greenwich, CT.  He is working out and pitching to his athletic wife Amy and to Yankee Manager Aaron Boone, who lives nearby.  James Paxton is rehabbing at his home in Wisconsin.  Matt Blake is keeping close tabs on him and his recovery and is directing his pitching rehab. Blake has said he is closer to a return each day.

Masahiro Tanaka is staying in form and doing some pitching at local fields in his native Japan.  J.A. Happ is also at home trying to stay in form.  Pitching coach Matt Blake has said he is letting his veteran pitchers pretty much handle there own ways to stay in shape so that they can start where they left off during a mini-spring training.  He is more closely supervising the programs of Jordan Montgomery, Johnathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa, and others.

Giancarlo Stanton on his performance

Giancarlo Stanton came to the New York Yankees after being traded by the Miami Marlins at the end of the 2017 season in which he was named the National League MVP.  Since coming to the Yankees, he has underwhelmed and has suffered several injuries.

No one wants Stanton to get back to his 2017 form more than Stanton himself.  He has said that he thinks he is one of the keys to advancing the Yankees back to the World Series.  “The newness of my surroundings was the most challenging thing for me,” Stanton said this past February from his locker inside the Yankees clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. “Even things as simple as getting to the ballpark and getting around the city took time to get comfortable with. You try to minimize the time you spend concentrating on all of the things away from baseball, to be your best on the field. But everything was brand new.”

Stanton is now healthy and ready for the season to begin whenever that happens.  He wants to contribute in a big way.  He knows it’s a team effort and that it doesn’t come from just home runs.  He, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Gleyber Torres have the ability to hit 160 home runs if they hit to their potential.  Stanton indicated that that is the icing on the cake.  It’s a team effort of getting on base and having excellent defense.  Stanton wants this to be a breakout season with the Yankees.