Didi Gregorius

New York Yankees: An Ideal Starting Lineup for the Post-Season

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New York Yankees shortstop, Didi Gregorius.

Aaron Boone, the manager of the New York Yankees, has a fun, but challenging task of creating a lineup for the postseason.

The Yankees currently have the best record in baseball at 95-51, are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and have an 8.5 game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees have one more two-game set against the Rays, at Tropicana Field, near the end of the month (MLB.com).

With the recent news of Hicks possibly needing Tommy John surgery and Tauchman being out the rest of the season, that opens up some spots in the outfield on the postseason roster. Stanton is the candidate to get the starting spot in left once he comes back off the IL. Clint Frazier could see an increase in playing time as well and will most likely make the postseason roster with all of these injuries.

What should the Starting Lineup Look Like in the Post-Season?

Once everyone comes back from injury, an ideal lineup would look like this: Lemahieu (3B), Judge (RF), Sanchez (C), Encarnacion (DH), Stanton (LF), Voit (1B), Torres (2B), Gregorius (SS), and Gardner (CF). Even for the Astros pitching, that would be a tough lineup to get through.  The balanced hitting of Lemahieu and Judge will set up the middle of the order, where all of the power comes from. Then, the sneaky home run leader, Torres, will add value to the bottom-third of the lineup. Gardner, a player that always seems to make something happen, whether it’s drawing a walk or stealing a base, is a perfect nine hitter to set up the top of the lineup.

Some key players off the bench would be: Gio Urshela (3B), for his electric plays on defense and consistent bat, Cameron Maybin (OF), for his veteran presence and ability to everything he asked to do at a high level, and Austin Romine (C), for his ability to lead as a veteran and come up clutch in big moments at the plate. He also seems to bond well with the pitchers and gives them extra confidence the mound.

Also, for the ALDS, Boone should most likely have Paxton start game 1 with his recent success. Tanaka game 2, Severino game 3, and German open up game 4, with Sabathia and/or Happ, right behind Severino or German. Severino will need some time to get back to his full durability audit may not be this season. German has also thrown a lot of innings this year and they should be careful with his arm. This plan would allow The Yankees could be smart to utilize all of their options to keep everyone fresh out of the bullpen.

Using this strategy, Boone can help lead the New York Yankees to their first World Series in a decade.

New York Yankees: Who Would’ve Thought Gleyber Torres Would Lead the Team in HR?

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Gleyber Torres, an infielder for the New York Yankees, after hitting his 35th home run of the year, takes the lead in the home run race over Gary Sanchez.

On Sunday, September 8th, Torres sent a ball that soared over the Green Monster, putting the Yankees on the board in the top of the second inning. Torres has been an underrated part of the Yankee’s power barrage this season. Last season, as a rookie, Torres hit 24 home runs in 123 games (Baseball-Reference). The two-time all-star is overachieving in his offensive game at such a young age. He is only 22 years old and he is already showing the potential of being a great player in this league for a long time. Who would have thought Torres would be the home run leader with less than a month to go in the season?

Torres is already Taking Leadership in the Yankees Offense

On a season average, Torres is batting .279, with 38 home runs, and 102 RBIs (Baseball-Reference). Torres is one of the few Yankees that has stayed healthy nearly all season and the organization should reward him for that. Hopefully, the Yankees will be able to sign him long term, due to his contract expiring at the end of the season.

Torres’s logo on Didi Gregorius’s social media pages is a baby bottle, labeling him as the youngest player on the team. Torres is already playing like he is in his prime and he might need a new logo.

When the Yankees acquired Torres in a trade with the Chicago Cubs back in July of 2016, the Yankees knew they just acquired a future star (MLB.com). They certainly stole him from the Cubs when they resigned Aroldis Chapman in the offseason. He has exceeded expectations in all parts of his game and the Yankees are lucky to have him. His unforeseen power since he has been in the big leagues has been a nice surprise.

Torres should be a big part of the Yankees success in the 2019 postseason and beyond. He has proven he can hit for average and power, even though he is only 6’1″ and 200 pounds. His game can be compared to the Astros’ Jose Altuve. They are both play second base and are five-tool players. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and be a part of the Yankees organization for his whole career. If he continues his stellar play, one day fans may see him in Monument Park in center field.

New York Yankees: The key to a deep playoff run for the Yanks

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

As the New York Yankees journey forward towards the postseason, they will have to make several tough decisions on who to carry over on their roster. The apparent choices being Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius and more will all feature on the active squad.

However, several injured players will need to return and make an impact during the playoffs, if the Yankees are keen on making a deep run. One of their stars, Giancarlo Stanton, will be needed. As one of the league’s top sluggers, he offers immense value In the lineup and the outfield. He can fill an outfield spot over Mike Tauchman or Camaron Maybin, which would be the ideal scenario for the Yankees.

Injuries continue to plague the team, as Tauchman left the game on Sunday night against the Boston Red Sox with what the team called a tight left calf. He will undergo further testing in New York.

Losing another outfielder is disheartening, which makes the return of stand that much more influential.

What’s the key to a New York Yankees postseason run?

Ultimately, success in the playoffs relies on two things: consistent pitching and run support. The Yankees have one of the two down, and returning Stanton will only help them in that category. So far this season, the Yankees have hit 131 home runs at home and 134 on the road. Not only should that give you an idea of their power, but attests to their ability to hit away from Yankee Stadium, which will be essential during the playoffs.

The Yankees top sluggers account for a significant portion of their home runs. Edwin Encarnación has 11 homers, Aaron judge has 21 homers, Gleyber Torres has 35 homers, and Gary Sanchez has 34 homers. In total, they’ve hit a total of 103 long balls.

Adding Stanton to that grouping will only help the team succeed. Despite his high strikeout rate, that is the sacrifice the Yankees are willing to make for timely runs and compensating for inconsistent pitching. Their biggest weakness is in the starting pitching rotation, as they don’t have a true Ace and are just returning Luis Severino. He will likely not be able to pitch a full game, which will make him an opening option.

New York Yankees escape serious injury to star player

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New York Yankees, Gio Urshela

The 2019 regular season for the New York Yankees has been plagued by injuries to vital contributing players. Escaping the injury bug has been a struggle, but lesser players have risen to the occasion to help supplement the team’s unfortunate losses.

However, another star player went down on Wednesday night. Third baseman Gio Urshela left the game with groin tightness, an injury that doesn’t seem too significant but can be lengthy. The groin muscle is susceptible and is needed for most basic baseball activities. While Urshela left the game with the ailment, it seems as if he escaped without suffering anything long-term.

“I think he is OK, just got a little tight in the groin so want to be safe with that and hopefully it is something that is not a big deal,’’ manager Aaron Boone said, according to the NY Post:

The starting infielder felt his groin tighten up running to first base after a single at the middle. He believes that the injury won’t stop him from playing on Friday against the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees head into a three-game series in the Bronx.

Positive injury news for the infield:

Starting shortstop Didi Gregorius suffered a bone bruise against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, but his return is imminent he acted as a pinch-hitter for Geo in the sixth inning Wednesday after the third baseman was forced out. The Yankees went on to win the game 7-3.

The Yankees need their infield to be healthy for the final push of the regular season. Heading into the playoffs, it’s essential they have their best defenders and hitters in the lineup. With one of the best records in baseball, they must continue with their momentum and gaining back pitchers Luis Severino, and Dellin Betances will be significant to their future success.

New York Yankees Weekly Recap + Yankee Player of the Week for 8/19-8/25

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New York Yankees, James Paxton

Weekly Recap:

After going 6-2 the week before, the New York Yankees started the past week on an unsatisfactory note. Starting their last west coast trip of 2019, the Yankees were swept in three games by the A’s in Oakland. Oakland Coliseum has been the Yankees’ house of horrors in recent years, as evidenced by their 7-21 record in their last 28 games at the Coliseum. The offense was quiet in situations where they typically shined this year and were outdueled on the mound.

Riding a four-game losing streak, the Yankees then headed to Los Angeles, where they would begin a Players Weekend series against the Dodgers. In a battle between the best teams in baseball, a potential World Series preview, the Yankees would leave Chavez Ravine winning two of three.

Overall, they finished the week 2-4, but their series win in LA sent a huge statement. The two games they won came at the expense of the Dodgers’ two aces, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Clayton Kershaw. Their starting pitching was at its finest in all three games. James Paxton and Domingo German both dominated in their starts, while C.C. Sabathia was solid despite only pitching four innings. Finally, in a matchup of two great offenses, the Yankees outscored the defending N.L. Champs 16-5 in three games.

This comes as the calendar is about to turn to September for the stretch run. Riding a nine-game lead over Tampa Bay entering Monday, it would take a near-total collapse for the Yankees to not lock up their first division title since 2012.

El Kraken hits 100th career dinger:

Catcher Gary Sanchez wrote his name into some more history books Friday night in LA. In the third inning, Sanchez hit a home run off Dodgers southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu, the 100th of his young career. With that long ball, Sanchez not only became the fastest catcher to 100 home runs but also the second-fastest all-time by games played, accomplishing the feat in his 355th career game. Only former Phillies slugger Ryan Howard did it faster, at 325 games.

Sanchez continues to make a strong case for A.L. Comeback Player of the Year. In 91 games played entering Monday, Sanchez is batting .233/.306/.519/.825 with 29 home runs and 67 RBI.

Aaron Judge Heating Up:

After suffering a left oblique strain on April 20, an injury that kept him out for two whole months, slugger Aaron Judge seemed to concern many fans. Coming into the week, Judge had hit 12 home runs, none of which going to left field. This led many to believe that the oblique is still an issue, and may require time in the offseason to heal fully.

The 27-year-old put those fears to rest this past week. In the first game of the Oakland series, Judge hit a home run that went an estimated 467 feet. Not only was this home run crushed, but it was also to deep left field, the first dinger he pulled all year. That one blast, his only hit of the series, was one of few bright spots in an otherwise putrid series.

The blast turned out to be no fluke when the Yankees took on the Dodgers next. Judge ended up with a home run in every game of the series, a sign that the slugger is starting to heat up.

Empire Sports Media’s Yankee Players of the Week:

Aaron Judge:

6 games, 8-25 (.320), 4 HR, 5 RBI, 5 Runs Scored, 1.186 OPS

James Paxton:

Vs. Dodgers (8/23): W, 6.2 Innings, 5 Hits, 2 ER, 11 SO

All Rise for the honorable first-ever two-time Players of the Week, the Judge and the Big Maple!

As stated earlier, Judge is starting to heat up, pulling home runs with more regularity, including a 467-foot bomb in Oakland. In LA, he hit home runs in every game of the series, including ones off Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw.

James Paxton was also huge in his start against the Dodgers, opposing Ryu. He lifted the bombers on the mount with 6.2 strong innings, striking out 11. This includes striking out N.L. MVP frontrunner Cody Bellinger three times. More importantly, he lifted the team’s spirits with his performance after the Yankees were swept in Oakland. With the win, Paxton has now won his last five decisions and is 5-0 with a 3.56 ERA in August.

Honorable Mentions (In no order):

Didi Gregorius:

6 games, 6-21 (.286), 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1.014 OPS

Gleyber Torres:

6 games, 9-23 (.391), 3 HR, 3 RBI, 1.266 OPS

Mike Ford:

5 games, 6-12 (.500), 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1.083 SLG %

New York Yankees: Didi Gregorius Could Be Back on the IL

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New York Yankees shortstop, Didi Gregorius.

The New York Yankees’ shortstop Didi Gregorius had missed a significant amount of the 2019 season when he had Tommy John Surgery following last season’s ALDS. Recent news could find the young star back on the injured list. Friday night against the Boston Red Sox, Gregorius was not in the lineup where he was dealing with a strain between his left ring finger and pinkie. This occurred while fielding a groundball in Wednesday’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The primary concern was that the star shortstop had hurt his wrist, which could have set him a long time back. Good news that is not the situation. Manager Aaron Boone met with media where he said “He’s day-to-day. He’s pretty sore today. We’re hoping to avoid an IL situation, but we’ll just kind of see how that unfolds now over the next couple days.”

Ever since Gregorius’ return from his Tommy John Surgery, he’s batted .271 with 42 hits and 30 runs batted in (Baseball Reference). He was on fire during the Minnesota Twins series earlier this month where he 5-5 one game and had ten total runs batted in during that set. He was recently just named the American League Player of the Week between July 23rd-27th.

I personally believe Gregorius will not find himself on the injured list and just be day-to-day. I think he wants to play too much having missed the first two months of the season and does not want to find himself back on the IL. He knows that the team depends on him and is a team-first kind of guy.

Who the New York Yankees need to thank after terrible pitching performances

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New York Yankees, Didi Gregorius

Who has been the New York Yankees’ savior over the past few games?

The last two games for the New York Yankees have been horrendous defensively, or to be more specific – their pitching as been devastatingly bad. Allowing 38 runs in their past three games, you wouldn’t believe the Bombers managed to win two of them, but how?

While Aaron Hicks’ spectacular game-winning catch against the Twins surely helped, they would have been blown out without the efforts of shortstop Didi Gregorius.

Didi is 9-for-14 in the last three games, hitting two singles, four doubles, one triple, and one home run. Of the Yankees 24 runs against the Twins, Gregorius accounted for 10 of them. After starting off slow in his return from injury, the infielder has been lights out at the plate, and his defense has been solid as always.

To give you an idea of how efficient he’s been, his first game of the series against the Twins placed him in the record books. Notching five hits and seven RBIs, he’s fifth Yankee since 1920 to do that. He’s one of three to go 4-for-4 or better with seven RBIs in multiple games, sitting alongside the company of Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio.

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“I was trying to drive the ball to left-center, and trying to stay consistent and trying to keep that in the game,” Gregorius told reporters in Minneapolis. “I did that with the first pitch I saw from (Kyle) Gibson. I drove it to left-center.”

As Didi continues to progress and pick up momentum, the team will only reap the benefits. Having his defensive capabilities is only a benefit to the offensive production he’s capable of having.

As the pitching rotation begins to recover from numerous ailments, the team as a whole should begin to dominate without having to compensate with massive run production. Luckily, Gregorius was here to save the day(s).

New York Yankees: Injury Updates (6/8/19)

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New York Yankees, Dellin Betances

Didi Gregorius

Didi Gregorius made his season debut on Friday, and it didn’t look like he missed any time. The shortstop out of Curacao went 2-for-4 with two hard hit balls, then went yard on Saturday.

Didi’s defense continued to look gold glove caliber, and his arm seemed fine on throws across the diamond.

Skipper Aaron Boone wants to rest Didi on Sunday, and despite the fact that Didi is pleading with him to play it seems that Boone won’t be budging on it, but who knows.

Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge is in Tampa and getting ready for a possible return in three weeks. He has been taking balls in the field, running, and throwing for a few weeks. Just the other day, he advanced from the tee to cage work and on field batting practice.

The plan would be to start rehab in about two weeks, and then get him ready for the team’s series with the Boston Red Sox in London at the end of June.

Giancarlo Stanton

Giancarlo Stanton is also in Tampa with Judge, and he has been doing the same activities as him. However, he is much further along than him and will begin rehab with the Tampa Tarpons on Monday or Tuesday. He is hoping to advance to the Railriders by next weekend.

With the rehab, it puts Stanton about 10 days out from his Yankee return.

Dellin Betances

Aaron Boone said before Saturday’s 8-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians that Dellin Betances had a setback, and will be returning to New York on Monday to meet with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad.

Betances had soreness in his shoulder Friday morning before his bullpen, and was evaluated in Tampa before the decision to send him back to New York.

Troy Tulowitzki

Troy Tulowitzki is still reportedly at home, “considering his options”. This could potentially mean that we have already seen the end of Troy Tulowitzki in pinstripes, or even in his career.

New York Yankees: Was Optioning Thairo Estrada The Right Move?

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New York Yankees, Thairo Estrada

With Didi Gregorius becoming activated, the New York Yankees were forced to make a roster move to make room for him. What they did was send Thairo Estrada to AAA, rather than DFA’ing or releasing Kendrys Morales

Should of kept Estrada

In my mind, the Yankees should of 100% kept Thairo Estrada and gotten rid of Kendrys Morales.

Estrada has outperformed Morales in every aspect. The only thing that Morales has and Estrada doesn’t is switch hitting.

Estrada’s average is at .280 through 50 at-bats, and he has 11 RBIs and three home runs. Morales has a .189 average through 159 at-bats with 11 RBIs, and two home runs.

Estrada also has a lot more speed and versatility compared to Morales. Estrada can play the middle infield, as well as the outfield and has a lot of speed. Morales, is not a great fielder and is extremely slow.

Kendrys Morales is a first baseman, and keeping him makes three guys who can play first. Luke Voit is obviously the starter, and DJ LeMahieu backs up every infield position. When you have those two guys, there is no need for a third first baseman, especially a guy batting under .200.

LeMahieu will now just play in a new position every day. He will give guys off-days or let them DH, or DH himself if nothing else.

Because Estrada is so versatile and has better season stats, the Yankees should of kept him over Morales. Morales is slow and aging, and they could release him or trade him to a rebuilding team like the Orioles or the Marlins.

New York Yankees: Does Didi Gregorius Need More Rehab Time?

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The other day, the New York Yankees announced that their all-star caliber shortstop Didi Gregorius will be returning from rehab and will play against the Cleveland Indians this weekend. However, Didi has struggled a bit in his rehab, so could it be beneficial to extend his rehab a bit, especially with the way that the Yankees are playing.

Just one hit

Through Tuesday’s game against the Buffalo Bison, Didi has just one hit in 21 at-bats with the SWB Railriders. In his seven at-bats with high-A Tampa, he went 2-for-7 with a home run.

Because Didi is having so much trouble hitting the ball, it may be worth keeping him in AAA for another week or so until the three week rehabilitation period has ended before calling him up. By doing that, he can keep getting more at-bats without it hurting the Yankees as much. The guys in the majors are winning, so there is no reason to rush Didi back.

Who goes?

Once Didi comes back, one player will be forced to leave the team, and I believe that it will be Kendrys Morales.

If you do that, DJ LeMahieu moves into a utility position, lining him up to back-up Luke Voit, or even start LeMahieu more than Voit at first and shift Voit to the DH slot. By Didi coming back, it shifts Gleyber Torres back to second, pushing out DJ from every-day second base.

Kendrys Morales just hasn’t been producing for the Yankees. He’s batting under .200 with just one home run. Don’t get me wrong though, the one home run was an absolute shot, making it up to the front row of the 400 level in right.

Because Didi is struggling a bit in his rehab, there is no reason to rush him since the Yankees are winning. It’s more important to get him locked in and symptom free before making his MLB season debut.