Gary Sanchez

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: Shut Out For the First Time in Over a Year

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

On Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 2019, the New York Yankees were shutout by Mike Minor and the Texas Rangers.

Minor went 7 and 1/3 innings, allowed 5 hits, one walk, struck out 5, and lowered his ERA to 3.12 (Baseball-Reference). This outing could make the Yankees front office second guess their decision to not get a starting pitcher at the deadline.

The Yankees only amassed 6 hits in the game and left six runners on base (Baseball-Reference). Mike Tauchman had two, Tyler Wade, Gary Sanchez, Mike Ford, and Luke Voit each had a hit (Baseball-Reference). The Yankees have seemed to struggle against some of the teams in the AL West the past few seasons.

One Shutout will not Stop this Offense

The last time the Yankees were shutout was June 30, 2018, against the Boston Red Sox (mlb.com). This team has lost a lot of games since then, but they were not shutout in any of them. That is fascinating. This offense has revolutionized the value of powerful bats up and down the lineup. They have set records: most home runs by a team (until the Twins passed them two days ago), most home runs in a calendar month as a team, and consecutive games with a home run as a team. Those records should not be taken lightly.

Again, once everyone is healthy, whether it is the end of the season or next season, there is no record that this offense cannot break. Anyone can lead the offense on any given day, that is what makes this offense different from any other in MLB history. The New York Yankees’ offense should be a force come the postseason, especially at home with the lively crowd at their backs.

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 %

The New York Yankees Launch Four for the Win, Sweep Mariners

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

Everything about today’s pitching match up screamed pure poetry. The battle revolved around James Paxton and Justus Sheffield, who made his major league debut with the New York Yankees last year and was traded for Paxton as a package deal after the 2018 season. Before today’s game, Sheffield only had pitched 7.0 innings this season, accumulating a 6.43 ERA and a 6.35 FIP. Although this is an extremely small sample size to criticize, Sheffield hasn’t had much success outside of Triple-A.

In 4.1 innings pitched, Sheffield was responsible for giving up 6 hits, 5 runs and struck out 5 batters on 92 pitches. He now has racked up a 7.94 ERA, 6.56 FIP, and a 2.29 WHIP. The Paxton blockbuster deal was well worth the price of admission. Speaking of the man himself, Paxton collected another solid performance on Wednesday afternoon. In 5.0 innings pitched, he was accountable for giving up 1 hit, 2 runs and striking out 4 batters on 86 pitches. However, Paxton ran into some issues with his pitch location later down the road, walking 5 batters and raising his BB/9 from 3.30 to 3.53.

Gary Sanchez positioned the Bronx Bombers with an early, 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st. Sanchez ripped a blast into deep left field, traveling 434-feet with an exit velocity of 112.0 MPH. Paxton dealt with flawless precision through the 1st 3 innings, recording 3 strikeouts in the process. Sanchez possessed another trick up his sleeve, throwing out two different base runners in back-to-back innings. The Kraken truly displayed his arm accuracy and strength, which is nothing new to the average Yankees fans.

Paxton was responsible for allowing a 2-run mammoth off the bat of Kyle Seager in the bottom of the 4th, evening the score up to 2-2. The tie was not prolonged, as the Yanks powered in a 4-run, 5th inning. Mike Ford, who has been a scorching-torch with the bat as of late, broke the tie by drilling a solo shot to right field, traveling 356-feet with an exit velocity of 94.8 MPH. “The Machine,” known as DJ LeMahieu, cashed in an RBI single to left field.

Aaron Judge rounded off the 5th inning rally, hammering a towering, 2-run moonshot to right field. This preposterous no-doubter traveled 376-feet, 106.5 MPH and possessed a ridiculous 42-degree launch angle. Everyone recognizes just how muscular Judge is, but obliterating a 376-foot homer at a 42-degree launch angle is just absurd and requires strength beyond the average human’s comprehension.

Chad Green relieved Paxton in the bottom of the 6th, racking up a solid 3 strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched. Adam Ottavino also took the slab in the bottom of the 8th, allowing no hits on 1.0 inning pitched. In the top of the 9th, LeMahieu recorded and annihilated his 23rd homer on the season to deep right field, traveling 421-feet with an exit velocity of 108.6 MPH.  The Seattle Mariners acquired their final run in the bottom of the 9th. Dylan Moore cashed in an RBI single to left field.

The former Mariner, known as Corey Gearrin, closed out the game and granted the New York Yankees their first sweep since the Baltimore series in mid-August. The Pinstripes now own an 88-47 (.652) record, which is the best in the American League and the majors as a whole. They are also 20-8 and have crushed 66 homers in August. I forgot to mention that I was noticed by Senpai today. I don’t know about you, but that’s a pretty big deal.

Two New York Yankees Reach 100 Home Runs In Historic Fashion

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

New York Yankees right-handed sluggers Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez have each reached 100 career home runs, both doing so in historic fashion.

They are they second and third fastest players in MLB history to 100 home runs in terms of games. The only player to 100 home runs faster is ex-Philie Ryan Howard, making Judge and Sanchez the fastest in AL history.

Sanchez got his before Judge in the opening game of a three game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Judge got his in the second of three with the Mariners, his fourth home run in five games. It took Sanchez (333) less games than Judge (371) to reach the 100 home run mark.

This season, Gary Sanchez has 29 home runs despite multiple IL stints, and Aaron Judge has 17 now in the midst of a hot streak.

This is just another crazy accomplishment in the year of the home run. Many teams are hitting bombs at a historic rate, and the Minnesota Twins are seriously challenging the single-season home run record set by the Yankees last year.

What Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez have done is completely insane, and here’s to hoping for even more home runs.

 

 

 

 

 

Gary Sanchez Returns To The New York Yankees With A Bang

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New York Yankees all-star catcher Gary Sanchez was removed from the IL prior to Saturday’s game, and he got his return off to a hot start.

Sanchez was placed on the IL on July 24th with a groin strain after a series of poor games. Kyle Higashioka filled Sanchez’s roster spot and played well in his brief time in the majors, but has now been sent back down to AAA.

After striking out on a 96 mile per hour heater in his first at-bat back, Sanchez made a loud return to the team, lining a slider into the left-center field seats for a solo-shot. August has always been Gary’s month, and he has started the month off quite well.

The home run wouldn’t amount to anything as the Yankees fell late to the Blue Jays 5-4, but it was good to see Gary back and healthy. His average had dipped down to .230, but hopefully that will go up now.

Additional Roster Moves

Yankee right-handed reliever Jonathan Holder has been placed on the 10-day IL with shoulder inflammation, and Stephen Tarpley has been recalled from AAA. It really sucks to see Holder on the IL because he has been pitching much better of late.

The Yankees have to hope that no more relievers go down soon. AAA pitchers Daniel Camarena and Domingo Acevedo have also been placed on the IL, and both are on the 40-man roster.

Because of those injuries, it makes sense now why the Yankees acquired reliever Joe Mantiply from the Reds. He has seen major league time before, but not since 2016. He could be called upon in an emergency.

Hopefully, everyone on the team can stay healthy now for the postseason run.

New York Yankees: Is Brian Cashman a genius or a fool?

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New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

Before the MLB trade deadline, the New York Yankees were in a very tough situation with their starting pitching rotation. Most believed they would strike a deal to bring in a quality pitcher to supplement injuries and inconsistencies. However, the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman fell silent and the trade deadline passed over with no deals being completed.

Most saw this as a serious issue, but the Yankees have lost just one game since the July 31 deadline. They proceeded to sweep the Boston Red Sox in a four-game series and then sweep the Baltimore Orioles immediately after. They have scored 72 total runs in their last nine games.

This begs the question, is New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman a genius or a fool?

At this point, Cashman seems more like a genius, but the sample size is small. The postseason, which the Yankees will undoubtedly make, will pose a different set of challenges, especially for the starting pitching rotation against more productive batters.

Several injuries, including catcher Gary Sanchez, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, reliever Dellin Betances, and two starting pitchers in Luis Severino and CC Sabathia are all working their way through treatments to return and contribute towards a potential World Series appearance. Recent injuries to both starting first basemen Luke Voit and Edwin Encarnacion have forced the Yankees to dive deeper into their minor-league system and pull up Mike Ford. Also, utility man DJ LeMahieu will have to compensate for the loss of their offensive production and defensive prowess.

The starting pitching woes will have more of an immediate impact against better quality teams in the postseason. If the Yankees are forced to face off against a team like the Houston Astros, they could be in over their heads and Cashman could look like a fool for sitting quietly during the trade deadline. The Astros currently have Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, and  Gerrit Cole as their primary starters.

There is still time for the Yankees to rehab Severino back to full health and get their starters trending positive before the postseason, but it is impossible to say if they will be prepared to handle better offensive teams.

New York Yankees: Three Players That Need to Perform During the Playoffs

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

After falling just short of the ultimate end goal the past two years, it’s evident that the New York Yankees need everybody ready for the bright lights of the postseason. Players like Didi Gregorius and Masahiro Tanaka have performed quite well in the playoffs but there have also been guys that have struggled and they’re still on this 2019 team! Below are three guys that need to solidify their playoff status this October.

Aaron Judge

He is arguably one of the most recognizable figures in baseball and his ability to hit the long ball are the main reason why. In just 351 career games, Judge already has 95 regular-season home runs. That may not seem like a lot to some, but it must be noted that he’s missed a lot of this season with an injury as well as last season with a fractured wrist. Even with his regular-season accolades, Judge has simply not been as consistent when the games really mattered. Because his career is still young and he hasn’t had a large enough sample size to dud him as a player who “chokes” in the playoffs, it’s unfair to say that he will underperform come playoff time. One thing is for certain though, the New York Yankees need Aaron Judge to have a hot bat in a few months.

Gary Sanchez

We’ve seen it for decades, particularly in the Bronx; having a quality catcher behind the dish can change the course of an entire season. If fans look back into the Yankees storied history and some of the more memorable Yankee teams in the past 100+ years, each team has had a leader as a catcher. Berra, Munson, Posada, the list goes on. That’s who this year’s team needs in the playoffs and so far, Gary Sanchez has made huge strides in making himself a solid defender to add to his powerful bat. Although he’s gotten bit by the infamous injury bug a couple of times this season, the all-star still has 24 home runs and has a .979 fielding percentage. If this can translate to the postseason, Sanchez could be deadly.

Luis Severino

Fans who have tuned in every night to watch the Yanks play know that what’s holding them back from being a totally unstoppable force and that’s their starting pitching. The rotation has not lived up to expectations this year and Luis Severino could change the script dramatically once he comes back from injury. As of now, we don’t know what Sevy’s role will be once he returns to the staff. There’s no sense in rushing him back if he’s not ready, but it would be good for him to eat up some innings prior to playoff time. This would give him time to lock-in as well as determine how much fatigue his arm can take throughout the course of a game. His first two postseason appearances have not been too kind to the Dominican native, who has posted a 6.26 ERA in six games. We have all seen what he can do in the regular season, and if he’s healthy and dominant like we’re all hoping for, another weapon can be added to the Yankee arsenal.

New York Yankees: Why is Kyle Higashioka shining in starting role?

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New York Yankees, Kyle Higashioka

While New York Yankees reserve catcher Kyle Higashioka has virtually no chance at replacing regular starter Gary Sanchez, it’s worth taking a look at how impressive he’s been in such a small sample size.

Hitting .256 on the year after a five-RBI performance against the Baltimore Orioles, Kyle is looking like he can be an everyday player for the Bombers. Given Sanchez and his impressive home run totals will take his place, but there’s no denying that Higashioka is not only hitting well but playing solid defense as well.

This season, Sanchez has thrown out 7-of-28 stolen bases attempted, while Higi is 3-for-11. They have a similar percentage in that category. However, their offensive production is an interesting topic.

The New York Yankees have an unusual situation at catcher:

Gary is boasting a .229 batting average with 24 homers and 58 RBIs. His numbers look solid aside from his norm, which unveils his struggles. The starting catcher has struck out 90 times this season, four less than his 87-game total from 2018.

Overall, Sanchez’s offense has improved a minimal amount, but his defense has taken a significant step forward. The Yankees have managed to extract the most out of career-average players this season. It seems they’re doing the same with Higashioka, as Gio Urshela, Cameron Maybin, and Mike Tauchman have all evolved into impact players.

Whether the Yanks have a killer psychologist helping these athletes find their best self or the Pinstripes are magical — whatever it is, it’s working.

Despite the success of the backup catcher, Sanchez will be returning in a few days after spending a few weeks on the injured list with a strained groin. With Gary out, Austine Romine and Kyle have earned more playing time and reps, which have helped them develop consistency.

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“This time around, other than [Tuesday, when Romine started for the second straight night] we have been going every other day,’’ Higashioka said. “That’s nice because you don’t have to worry about timing as much.’’

As for manager Aaron Boone:

“I just think we have a lot of confidence in both guys,’’ Boone said. “When you split it up, I feel those guys are in a really good place. Keeping these guys fresh, obviously catching is a little more demanding. It’s a belief that both guys are going to impact us.’’