Gary Sanchez

New York Yankees Finally Put Together Some Offense in Win Over Baltimore

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New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

Just four days ago, the New York Yankees finished dropping a three game series against the Orioles at home. Now on the road, the Yankees finally pieced together some offense and beat the Orioles by a score of 8-4.

Gleyber Torres led the way

Gleyber Torres put together a game he won’t forget. Torres went 4-for-4 with two dingers and four ribbies.

His first time up, he roped a 1-1 splitter to left field and gone for a solo homer. His next time up, he cracked a double.

The third time he came to the plate, the Yankees were trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning, shortly after catcher Gary Sanchez had a homer himself. Torres took an 0-2 fastball to left for a three run home run to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Torres also had a single in the eighth, and if he had another plate appearance, he would need just a triple for the cycle.

In the ninth inning, first baseman Luke Voit popped a 1-2 sinker into the seats for a three-run bomb, putting the Yankees up 8-4 to seal the deal.

Something that is worrisome about the game is the fact that Aaron Judge went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. He isn’t getting a ton of friendly calls behind the plate, but nonetheless he shouldn’t be striking out as much as he has been. Like we said yesterday, it’s all about situational hitting.

Big Maple’s first Yankee win

Getting a no decision in his first Yankee game, James “Big Maple” Paxton picked up his first Yankee win on Thursday against the Orioles.

Paxton pitched 5 1/3 innings while giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out nine and walking two. Paxton threw 99 pitches and threw first pitch strikes to 14 of his 25 batters. He got eight of his nine strikeouts on variations of his fastball, and was hitting 96 MPH consistently on the radar gun with the four-seam.

Once Paxton was finished, Tommy Kahnle came in for 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, followed by Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman with scoreless innings to close it out.

Reminder: We’re only seven games into the season. The Yankees are 3-4, but the Astros (who we play next) are 2-5 and the Red Sox are 2-6. Plus, the Cubs are also off to a 1-4 start. Those four teams area handful of the World Series favorites.

Fans just need to patient. The Yankees will heal, and they will win games.

The Yankees actually have Friday off with the whole home opener, next day off thingy. So the Yankees and the O’s finish off this three game series on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday’s game will be at 7:05PM on YES Network and Fox Sports Go. MASN may be available dependent on where you live and which TV provider you have, and that is another way to watch.

JA Happ gets the ball for the Yankees against the Orioles’ Dylan Bundy. That will be a rematch of this past Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

 

The New York Yankees Beat The Tigers as Gardner and Sanchez Homer

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New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

In a low scoring affair, New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German threw five solid innings and Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner each hit solo home runs to beat the Detroit Tigers by a score of 3-1.

Seven combined hits

The Tigers and the Yankees combined for just seven hits all game, and just two came from the Tigers. Both of them happened to come off the bat of Jordy Mercer, who went 2-of-4.

The Yankees had five hits, two of which left the yard. Sanchez and Gardner each had solo shots, and Gardner also added a single in the first.

Greg Bird had a single to left field, but Tigers outfielder Christin Stewart bobbled it and Luke Voit put the wheels on and scored from first after a walk in the third inning.

Judge doubled in the seventh inning, but was stranded there, unable to build on the lead.

Aroldis Chapman came in to lock it down in the ninth, pitching a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to end it.

The Yankees four big relievers that are healthy right now pitched on Monday, and each did a great job. Chad Green, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, and Aroldis Chapman were each scoreless in one inning of work, and Britton was the only one that allowed a hit.

German did what was asked of him

Domingo German went out there on Monday with relatively low expectations, but pitched a solid game. In five innings, he only gave up a hit and a run, the run being charged on another Gary Sanchez throwing error. It did look like Gleyber Torres just missed the catch and Sanchez was just stuck with the error, so it’s not really his fault.

German only threw 77 pitches, but struck out seven while throwing first-pitch strikes 62 percent of the time. He got three of his seven strikeouts on curveballs, two of his seven on sliders, and two of his seven on fastballs. So basically, there was a lot that was working for German.

Though his pitches worked well, his accuracy and composure were poor. He walked five batters on Monday, and a 7:5 strikeout to walk ratio is really bad. He needs to keep practicing his accuracy and find more strategies with Gary Sanchez to get the ball to spots he can hit and the batters can’t.

Game two of the series against the Tigers continues on Tuesday at 6:35PM on YES Network and Fox Sports Go.

Masahiro Tanaka is scheduled to make his second start of the season, while Jordan Zimmerman will do the same for Detroit. Zimmerman was dominant last time out against the Blue Jays, allowing just one hit in seven innings.

 

 

Yankees can’t recover from Happ’s poor start in another loss to Orioles

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New York Yankees, J.A. Happ

JA Happ gave up a three run homerun to Orioles third baseman Renato Nunez in the first inning, and the Yankees weren’t able to recover as they dropped the rubber match to the Orioles, 7-5.

Happ’s struggles

In his first start of the season, JA Happ did not come out with his best stuff. After more than a three hour rain delay, Happ opened the game by striking out Jonathan Villar. It spiraled downward after that.

Dwight Smith Jr. hit a double to right-center field, then Trey Mancini hit a dumb little chopper down the third base line that Andujar couldn’t get to in time, putting runners on the corners.

Then, Nunez crushed a 2-2 fastball into the bleachers in left field, giving the Orioles a 3-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 second inning, Trey Mancini launched another fastball, this time into monument park to give Baltimore a 4-0 lead.

Happ worked a 1-2-3 fourth, but the Yankees decided to pull him and put in long reliever Luis Cessa, who gave up one earned run in 3 1/3 innings.

Happ just couldn’t throw the fastball well on Sunday. Both home runs came from it, as well as the double in the first inning by Smith Jr. Happ struck out three while issuing just one walk in his four innings of work, throwing 75 pitches.

Hitting like it’s still 2018

It may be a new season, but the Yankees offensive tendencies are just the same. Too many chased pitches while having a poor average with runners in scoring position. The Yankees were 2-of-12 with runners in scoring position on Sunday, Judge knocking in two on a single in the fourth, and a LeMahieu RBI single in the ninth.

The Yankees were down 7-4 going to the bottom of the ninth after Tommy Kahnle walked the bases loaded, but managed to work out of it.

Bird walked and then Gleyber Torres just inched out an infield single before LeMahieu had his RBI single. Troy Tulowitzki pinch-hit for Brett Gardner, but struck out on a 1-2 slider that he check-swung at.

14 of the Yankees 27 outs were strikeouts, but four of them came from Judge and three came from Sanchez. However, in addition to Judge’s RBI single, Sanchez went yard for the first time in 2019, lining a 1-2 change-up down the left field line in the seventh.

The Yankees will now take on the Detroit Tigers in a three game series to wrap-up a six game homestand. The Tigers split a four game series with the Toronto Blue Jays to open their season. Tyson Ross is expected to start for the Tigers, while the Yankees are expected to have a “bullpen game”. Domingo German is expected to pitch a few innings for the Yankees, but it is unknown if he will be the starter.

Game time is at 6:35PM on YES Network and Fox Sports Go.

Andujar with missed opportunities as Yankees drop first game of season

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

In his first start as a Yankee, southpaw James Paxton pitched well, giving up two runs (one earned) off of four hits with five strikeouts. However, he was credited with a loss as the Yankees couldn’t get much going on offense, dropping the second game against the Orioles by a score of 5 to 3.

Despite having 10 hits, the Yankees only managed to score three runs while going 3-of-9 with runners in scoring position. Their defense sure didn’t help any, having three errors on the game.

The little offense they had:

In the fourth inning, DJ LeMahieu punched one up the middle, barely strong enough to get through, scoring Gleyber Torres.

In the sixth inning, the Orioles put up two runs off a single by Dwight Smith and a throwing error by Gary Sanchez on a double steal attempt. With runners on first and second, Sanchez threw to second on the steal attempt. The throw was in plenty of time, just off target. This would knock Paxton out of the game.

An inning later, Baltimore got one more, this time off of Chad Green. Rio Ruiz doubled, then later scored off a single by Jesus Sucre. Sucre led the Orioles, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

In the ninth inning, Yankee reliever Jonathan Holder made a mess, starting after an error by DJ LeMahieu. With runners on the corners with one out, Sucre knocked one down the left field line, stopping at second and clearing the bases while making the score 5 to 1.

The Yankees sure tried to come back in the bottom of the ninth. Troy Tulowitzki led off with an opposite field home run, then LeMahieu followed with a double. Gardner hit a hard liner to center that was caught for the first out, however Aaron Judge kept it going with a hard single. After a full count strikeout by Giancarlo Stanton, Luke Voit hit a high fly ball that barely dropped in with the outfield playing back. That scored a run making it 5 to 3, but Miguel Andujar struck out on a 1-2 slider to end the game.

Andujar ruined their two biggest opportunities

Way back in the first inning, Baltimore starting pitcher Nate Karns was in no mood to deal with the big boys. After Gardner was retired to start the inning, Karns walked Judge, Stanton, and Voit to load the bases. After taking a low fastball for a ball, Andujar hit it back to Karns who threw it to Sucre behind the plate, then Trey Mancini at first for a 1-2-3 double-play.

Now in the ninth inning, the Yankees had Judge on third and Voit on first with Andujar up to bat. After swinging at a 95 MPH fastball for strike one, Oriole reliever Mike Wright threw three straight sliders. Andujar laid off the first one but swung at the next two to end the game.

Andujar finished 1-for-5 with two strikeouts on the afternoon.

The Yankees finish the series with the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at 1:05PM in the Bronx. The game will be televised on YES Network and Fox Sports Go.

 

New York Yankees Bold Prediction For The 2019 Season

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New York Yankees' Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

We’re a week into New York Yankees baseball, how about some bold predictions – which will only turn out to be way off base later, but what the heck:

Troy Tulowitzki hits .250 with 15 homers and gives you solid defense until Didi gets back.  He was one of the top shortstops during his tenure with the Rockies.  He’s going to be a good fit he he stays healthy and with that attitude-he wanted to replace Jeter when he retired-he yelled into the Blue Jays dugout as he rounded the bases for his homerun-an attitude that demands respect and gets it.

Tulowitzki’s homer off Marcus Stroman was a good one, not a batting practice homer off of a AAA relief pitcher. He had a double and a walk in Saturday’s matchup with the Pirates and made his signature moves at shortstop -the off-balance throw to first to catch the runner.

The first base competition for the Yankees takes a turn:

Greg Bird makes the opening day roster and Luke Voit starts the season in AAA along with Clint Frazier.  The reason I make this prediction is because Bird is raking, he had a double in Saturday’s loss to the Pirates to continue his hitting streak. Bird is six for 11 with four extra-base hits so far this spring.  If he keeps up this torrid pace, his lefty bat makes its way into the lineup.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit 100 homers. The Yankees hit 266 home runs in 2018, setting a Major League Baseball record.  The lineup was fraught with injuries to key players, such as Judge (wrist) and Stanton (hamstrings) who played through injury because Judge was out.  

A pair of healthy sluggers make the world go round:

In 2019, both Judge and Stanton are healthy to start the season and fans are excited to see the power bats in action again gearing up for what will undoubtedly be a big season for this pair of sluggers.  Judge, who hit 27 homers in 112 games in ’18 is projected by ZiPS to perhaps hit 35 homers in 128 games in ’19.

Stanton, on the other hand, hit 38 homers in 150 games in ’19 and ZiPS projects him for a big year in ’19 with 47 home runs in 150 games.  The resulting combined projected homers, according to ZiPS, for Judge and Stanton would be 82, but I’m predicting that Judge has a better year that ZiPS projects and we see him claim the power throne from Stanton.

-Judge will hit over 50 homers this season and be in the MVP conversation-

Yankees win 103 games. While the Yankees fans were ecstatic that the team won 100 games in 2018, losing to the Red Sox to end the season was no cause for celebration.  It took a while to appreciate the 100 wins, especially with the seasons that Bird and Gary Sanchez had and the injuries to Judge, Sanchez and Aroldis Chapman that they had to overcome.

2019 feels like an improved team, with the addition of James Paxton, Adam Ottaviano and infielders, DJ LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki – fans are expecting nothing less than a World Series this season.  Are these the players that can deliver – or, in the case of Tulowitzki, can he deliver until Gregorius is ready to return to the team in July or perhaps, even August?

A clean bill of health is necessary if No. 28 is to be realistic:

The 2019 Yankees have the opportunity to outpace the 2018 team and win number 28 on paper, but as always, the health of the team, and sometimes even luck, have a lot to say about how a season pans out.

Last bold prediction is my opening day roster – this is the best team I believe we can field behind the ace Severino on Opening Day – what changes would you make?

Opening Day Roster:

  • Gardner LF
  • Judge RF
  • Stanton DH
  • Sanchez C
  • Hicks CF
  • Bird 1B
  • Torres SS
  • Andujar 3B
  • LeMahieu 2B

New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka Dominant in Spring Debut

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka had is spring debut on Sunday at home against the Tigers, and boy he sure looked good.

In the first inning, Tigers centerfielder Daz Cameron rocketed a double deep into center field, but Tanaka stranded him on third by striking out the next two batters and forcing a fly out to center for the third out.

Tanaka’s second inning was flawless, working three groundouts to the left side, two of them to Miguel Andujar at third. The first one, Andujar took a few steps right to field a backhanded, hard-hit ground ball, and threw a two-hopper to first. The second was a routine ground ball that he put away with ease.

The third inning was just as good for Tanaka, getting the leadoff hitter to groundout to Kyle Holder at short, then two easy flyouts to Estevan Florial in center.

His final stat line: three innings, one hit, two strikeouts, and one runner stranded at third.

He also got a little run support in the first two innings, Brett Gardner hit two homeruns to right field for his first two hits of the spring, Aaron Judge lined his first homerun of the spring to right, and Gary Sanchez hit a screamer down the left field line that barely stayed fair.

Yankees feature two squads in two-game Sunday:

The Yankees are actually playing as a split squad today, the other team is playing the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin. Luke Voit is leading the way down there with a solo homerun, making the fight for first base even more interesting.

New York Yankees: Will Austin Romine remain the Yankees Back-up catcher?

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In 2018, New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez missed a good portion of the season because of groin injuries throughout the season. When he went down, back-up catcher Austin Romine did a great job behind the plate, but in the case for Yankees fans, did Romine do “too good of a job” in the sense that he could be traded to another team to take the role as a starting catcher? If that were to happen, would Kyle Higashioka do a good enough job as the back-up?

Is Romine deserving of a starting job elsewhere?

Around the trade deadline last season, the first rumors emerged that teams would possibly be interested in acquiring Austin Romine in a trade for a pitcher. He caught a good amount of games from May into mid-summer when Sanchez was rehabbing his groin and found himself on the DL twice.

In 242 at-bats in 2018, Romine hit .244 and had an OBP of .295 while slugging .417. In addition, he had 10 HR and 42 RBIs. He has shown in the last three seasons that he is a more reliable defensive catcher with a fielding percentage of .994 and a significantly less number of pass balls, compared to 18 passed balls for Sanchez in just 74 starts behind the plate in 2018.

Another thing that attracts teams to Romine is his work ethic and passion of the game. In 2018, he won the Yankees “heart and hustle award”, and has previously worked so hard to try and get back to the major leagues after limited appearances in 2011, 2014, and 2015, and no appearances in 2012. He’s also been known to stand up for his teammates and call out opposing players when need be. His most famous example of that is his brawl with Miguel Cabrera in 2017 against the Tigers.

Could Kyle Higashioka do a good enough job?

Kyle Higashioka has also been constantly working as hard as he can for his shot. Despite many trips up and down from AAA since the beginning of 2017, he wasn’t able to get his first until 2018 when he hit a long home-run during Sunday Night Baseball against the Red Sox.

His first three major league hits were actually home-runs but only hit .167 in 72 AB. He did have solid defense, with just one error in 20 starts, but his arm needs work. He would generally put the throws on target, just not quick enough.

Higashioka clearly had trouble at-bat in 2018, and also struggled in AAA batting only .202. With that average, he should be lucky that the Yankees were relatively low on catching options because he could have easily been sent down to AA. His fielding percentage was even slightly lower with Trenton, at .986.

Kyle Higashioka clearly needs work to be MLB ready. Besides his fielding percentage, his hitting numbers are nowhere near ready to be the MLB back-up catcher. If the Yankees were to trade Romine, they would need to receive a MLB ready catcher in exchange or sign an MLB veteran catcher, or claim one off of waivers. Veterans Matt Weiters, Caleb Joseph, and Stephen Vogt are all free-agents and could work as a back-up if a trade were to happen.

The New York Yankees Need To Remain Patient With Gary Sanchez

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New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

This winter New York Yankees‘ Gary Sanchez’s name has consistently been floated in trade rumors. Informed sources claim the Yankees wanted J.T. Realmuto, or Noah Syndergaard, or some other ridiculous fake trade people throw out for click bait.

The Yankees would be out of their minds to trade Sanchez, and GM Brian Cashman knows it.

What are the issues with the Yankees trading Sanchez?

The first issue is that even if you believe the team has soured on Sanchez (they haven’t), his value is the lowest it has been. After an injury plagued season where he couldn’t hit for average, block the plate, or run to first base, teams are likely to be weary.

He also just had shoulder surgery for an injury that’s bothered him for two years, which would be another red flag for potential suitors. Unless Cashman wants to trade a dollar for three-quarters I don’t see a trade happening.

The other reason it would be a bad idea to trade Sanchez is even more obvious….he’s been better than almost every other catcher in baseball even when he was at his worst. For his career his 162 game average stats would work out to a .262 BA, 43 HR and 113 RBI. J.T. Realmuto would come in at .279, 21, 79.

Realmuto is a good player but Sanchez has to potential to be HOF caliber. Teams don’t give up on that type of talent especially at a premium defensive position.

Are Sanchez’s defensive issues sensationalized?

Speaking of defense, Sanchez’s issues there are overblown. He had the bad luck that some of his passed balls ended up deciding the outcomes of games and shined a spotlight on one of the aspects of catching he struggles with.

His framing stats are in the upper third of all catchers, he controls the running game with a strong-arm and a quick release, and Yankee pitchers have spoken out about how well he calls a game. Yes he has struggled with his positioning blocking the plate and he can get lazy at times and just reach for balls instead of using his body. I’ll take the occasional passed ball in exchange for the overall package he offers.

Another narrative that has bubbled to the surface is his effort running the bases. What seems to be forgotten is he had been struggling with hamstring issues and actually went back on the DL shortly after his second lapse for that very reason.

Effort is not the issue:

If Yankee fans are so worked up about his effort why are they in such a rush to throw $250 million dollars at a player (Manny Machado) who told the world he wasn’t “Charlie Hustle?” I assure you every other team in baseball including the Marlins would be ecstatic to have Sanchez as a foundational piece of their team.

I think fans forget Sanchez is only 26 years old, has not reached his peak in any aspect of the game yet, and like all players will experience growing pains. Aaron Judge struggled adjusting in the later summer of rookie year and if my recollections are correct went 0 for August with 200 strikeouts…or something like that.

Youth is a process:

Every young player hits bumps in his development and I believe injuries were a huge contributor to the Kraken’s. So all you Yankee fans clamoring for a trade be careful what you wish for. As for me, at then end of the season I’m confident that I’ll be posting a self-congratulatory I told you so. Lets see come October what the right call was.

Will New York Yankees’ Gary Sanchez Bounce Back From A Terrible 2018?

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New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino

When looking back at New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez’s 2018 stats, you might want to close your eyes – that’s how putrid they are.

A batting average of .186 and 18 passed balls writes the story for Sanchez on both sides of the ball. His batting was atrocious, as he was often slotted in at the No. 5 spot behind Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees tried to utilize their sluggers consecutively, with Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius, Stanton, and Sanchez batting in order. While some might not call Didi a slugger, he managed to pull 27 homers last season, the most in his seven-year career and an all-time high for the Yankees at shortstop.

How can Gary Sanchez bounce back for the New York Yankees?

It all comes down to plate discipline and confidence for El Gary. He did have the injury excuse in play, as he had shoulder surgery during the 2017 offseason. Instilling confidence in the young catcher is essential, and GM Brian Cashman did just that with these words:

“It would be hard not to have Gary Sanchez as our catcher,” Cashman said during the winter meetings. “He’s certainly someone who we’ve invested in and believe in and expect to be a part of this place moving forward.”

Reports of the Yankees being involved with talks involving J.T. Realmuto clearly were false, as Cashman made it apparent that Sanchez still had a place in New York.

In addition to his shoulder surgery, Sanchez also suffered two groin ailments that limited him to just 76 games last season. Groin issues can be very troublesome for catchers, as it’s an essential muscle that’s needed to shuffle quickly. This undoubtedly played a role in his struggles stopping balls in the dirt, where he ranked last in the league among catchers with 18 passed balls.

With a few months of recovery, I expect to see Sanchez return to his former self. The player that hit .278 in 2017 and allowed 16 passed balls in over 100 games behind the plate. He’s far more talented than what we saw during the most recent campaign, and to be fair, the Yankees might have a far better shot at a deep playoff push when Sanchez is playing at his best.

The New York Yankees Stalled in Washington but Lead in the AL East

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The New York Yankees and Washington Nationals played to a 3-3 tie in Nationals Park on Tuesday night before inclement weather shut the game down in the sixth inning.

Masahiro Tanaka was on the mound for the Yankees and struggled in the early innings. He gave up a solo home run to Anthony Rendon in the first inning, followed by run scoring hits to Andrew Stevenson and Pedro Severino in the second inning to make the score 3-0.

Unfortunately, Tanaka’s home run rate is rising, as noted by Katie Sharp:

Tanaka has allowed the most home runs of any pitcher over the last two seasons with 57 and he is currently tied for fourth in Major League Baseball with nine.

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After the second inning, Tanaka appeared to settle down and he eventually retired the last nine batters in order.

Tyler Austin broke out of a 0-23 slump, going 2-2 with a single, a three-run homerun  and a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told Brian Hoch of MLB.com:

“I always like the matchup with Tyler against a lefty,” manager Aaron Boone said. “A few really good at-bats — the single to start things, obviously the homer. Deep at-bats. That last at-bat was a real battle with Gio where he almost hit another one out, chasing them back to the wall. Really good at-bats from him in what we felt was a good matchup for him.”

Austin carried the offense on his back last night with the home run and a sacrifice fly responsible for all the Yankees’ runs.

On a day when MLB.com released it’s power rankings boosting the Yankees (28-12) to the number one spot, supplanting the Boston Red Sox (28-14), now in third place, the Yankees took over the lead in the American League East as the Oakland Athletics beat the Red Sox 5-3 Tuesday night.

The game has been rescheduled to resume play at 5:05 Wednesday afternoon and the Yankees will be even more determined to beat Washington and maintain the top spot in the standings.