Luke Voit

New York Yankees: First Base Position Battle Is All But Decided

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

The New York Yankees have seen massive improvements from some of their more questioned players – first baseman Greg Bird being one of them. Two years of sub .200 hitting and injury spells have erased what was once a promising start to his career.

This spring, Bird has shown flashes of offensive productivity, not to mention his above-average defensive abilities. But, the fact of the matter is that Bird simply hasn’t been consistent enough to warrant a realistic opportunity to be the opening day starter.

When the Yankees acquired Luke Voit from the St. Louis Cardinals last season, nobody expected him to hit .333 and launch 14 homers in 39 games. Before being traded he was hitting a putrid .182 with one homer in eight games. Something about the Pinstripes elevated his game, as it does with most – take a look at Troy Tulowitzki, a player that hasn’t stepped foot on a field since 2017.

Inevitably, Voit has earned the starting role at first base despite being an average defender. Bird offers more in that sense, but the Yankees aren’t willing to give up Voit’s run production for a slightly better-graded defender.

What will the New York Yankees do with Greg Bird?

If Voit does end up starting the season at first, we can expect Bird to spend time in triple-A. At least at the lower level, he can continue building on his form and reigniting a developmental halt. If he can regain the trust of manager Aaron Boone and prove that he can be a consistent offensive option, there’s a chance he could legitimately compete with Voit at first base.

As the great Bert Lance once stated, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This directly applies to what most are referring to as a “position battle,” when it’s more of a “Greg Bird” saving himself battle.

Another important factor:

One of the more underrated aspects of Voit’s game is his durability, not to mention his power. His slash of .333/.405/.689 was uncharacteristic for the slugger. He also earned a 194 wRC+ with the Yankees, which lands in the “incredible” category. His ability to avoid injury yet elevate his game is very attractive and will likely play a big part in his locking down the first base position in 2019.

New York Yankees: Is Greg Bird Finally Back On Track?

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Greg Bird is beloved by a huge section of New York Yankees fans who were all over social media reacting to his first days hitting.

Eric Boland tweeted a video of Bird homering off Masahiro Tanaka:

And fans went wild with optimism that Bird was back!  Not that I want to disagree, it’s just that two days of camp do not a comeback make.  Bird has a lot to improve this season, beginning with these numbers: .191/286/.386 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs in 82 games last season.  

He was left off the postseason roster in favor of Luke Voit and Kristie Ackert of NYdailynews.com wrote: “ he has an uphill battle to unseat Voit as the starting first baseman.”  Especially since Voit, on the strength of a more than solid stretch run, has the endorsement of General Manager Brian Cashman.

So what can we expect from Bird in ’19?  According to River Ave. Blues:

ZiPS has never been all that high on Greg Bird — it projected him for +1.9 WAR total from 2017-18 — and this year it projects him for a .224/.317/.444 (101 OPS+) line and +0.6 WAR in 350 plate appearance.

Bird projects to hit below league average for first basemen which were .253/.333/.438 (112 OPS+) in 2018.  Despite a modest ZiPs projection for 2018, .240/.333/.480 with 19 HRs in 372 plate appearances, Bird’s numbers on the year were well below it and as a result, he lost the starting job.

There are high hopes that Bird’s work in the offseason will translate into the sort of spring training that he’s has been known to have – he hit 8 home runs and posted a 1.64 OPS over 51 at-bats in Grapefruit League play in 2017.  While Injuries derailed him in 2016 and 2017, in 2018, he appeared to be healthy; however, he could never put it together offensively to be productive and successful in ’18.

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweeted yesterday that Aaron Boone said that there is “definitely a noticeable difference in Greg Bird’s swing and how he is impacting the ball” this spring.  Boone noted to Kristie Ackert of the NYPost that Bird, even while struggling last season, Bird controls the strike zone.  He noted that in his first at-bats in Tampa that control was apparent.

There is plenty of buzz around Bird this spring as fans hope to see him rebound from a dismal showing in 2018 and reclaim the first baseman’s job; however, Luke Voit is going to be a huge obstacle in his path to a comeback.

While Bird’s glove has always been solid, his offensive potential has only ever been glimpsed at due to injury and ineffectiveness.  Let’s hope Bird makes it a dogfight at first base by getting the bat going this spring and showing off that lefty power stroke.

 

 

 

New York Yankees: Highlighting the biggest position battles entering Spring Training

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New York Yankees, Aaron Hicks

With Spring Training beginning and position players reporting just days from now, a lot of questions remain for the New York Yankees on how the 25 man roster may play out, and on who may start where. Today we dive into the four biggest position battles the Yankees face this spring.

Left field and the extra outfielder:

It remains very obvious that Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks will start in right field and center field, assuming Brian Cashman doesn’t sign Bryce Harper. After Brett Gardner had a rather poor season and Clint Frazier is healthy again, we have ourselves a rookie vs. veteran for a starting outfield position.

Clint Frazier reported on twitter a few weeks ago that he is “cleared to participate in spring training”. Red Thunder has overall had success in his time called-up from AAA, and had a walk-off home run in 2017. Frazier often served as the Yankees “26th man” on doubleheader days last year, without using a minor league option. Frazier bat .265 last season in the majors in 34 at-bats.

Brett Gardner bat just .236 last season, well below his .261 career average. By the end of last season, it seemed that he couldn’t really hit a thing, and with the acquisition of Andrew McCutchen, he saw his playing time go way down in September. In Game 1 of the ALDS, Aaron Hicks went down with a pulled hamstring, forcing Gardner to start games two and three. He ended up going 0-for-8.

You also have Jacoby Ellsbury. He would be more of an option to be the “extra outfielder”, but with him playing poorly over the years and him already having injury issues this season, he is already behind and prone to get hurt again and struggle.

First Base:

The Yankees have a two-man race for the first base position, and from what we saw last season, Yankees fans assume that it will be Luke Voit starting at first base over Greg Bird.

In all of 2018 (Cardinals and Yankees), Luke Voit bat .322 with 15 home runs in 143 at-bats. His incredible strength and power helped fill the slack of the injured Aaron Judge when he joined, but the success didn’t stop once Judge returned. Having Voit in the lineup gives the Yankees three players who can hit the ball all the way into downtown Manhattan.

Greg Bird has been, well……. playing rather poor in his MLB career. He is batting a career .214 in 576 at-bats, and bat just .199 last season. Voit had double the stats of Bird last season in about half as many at-bats. If Bird has a poor spring, could this finally be the end for Bird with the Yankees? Sending him down may be a bad option, the Yankees actually have two great first basemen at the AAA level in Mike Ford and Ryan McBroom, Ford being invited to the major league camp. It’s always possible that the super-underdog could steal the show.

DJ Lemahieu does remain a viable option, but he will focus more on the middle infield. Aaron Boone did say in his first press conference something along the lines of Andujar learning first base a bit, but it isn’t a focus for him or the team. Any way in which the Yankees choose to go; there will be depth.

The middle-infield cluster

The Yankees have four middle infielders for just two starting spots. Those players are Troy Tulowitzki, DJ Lemahieu, Gleybar Torres, and Tyler Wade.

The Yankees kinda shocked the baseball world and signed Troy Tulowitzki for a one year deal, to help fill-in for the injured Didi Gregorius, who appears to be making great progress in his recovery. But Tulo himself has had injury problems, and his stats have been on a decline over the last four years. His fielding, however, remains one of the best in the league. Could he maybe start at shortstop this season? Anything is possible.

Then there is last years starting second base sensation, Gleybar Torres. Remember, he came up as a shortstop and moved to second base due to Didi Gregorius. So with that, he may be the Yankees opening day shortstop with Lemahieu or possibly Wade at second.

Lemahieu remains the most likely option for the opening day second base spot, as that’s where he played with the Rockies for the most part. The only concern in the play of Lemahieu is his struggles away from Coors Field, where he hit so well it. But many Yankees players who can deal with the New York pressure hit well at Yankees Stadium with the short porches making the stadium extremely hitter-friendly.

Tyler Wade will likely not be a starter for the Yankees but should find his way onto the team and the field. He has a pretty solid glove, is a great base-runner, and his versatility can take him out of the infield and into the outfield when need be. His hitting has struggled big time in the majors, but he should be a solid non-offensive option.

A middle relief spot or two is still available

The Yankees have a lot of power guys that are known to help in the final innings but still lack a few middle relief options. Your power relievers are Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Zack Britton, and Adam Ottavino. Chad Green and Jonathan holder are high leverage, middle relief guys. You have one or two spots available for low leverage situations, let’s see what they have:

In 2017, the Yankees acquired Tommy Kahnle in a trade with the White Sox. He was great in 2017, but an early-season injury in 2018 derailed his season. Once he returned, he never got his high 90s velocity back and spent most of the season in AAA. This season would be a perfect time for a comeback season.

Danny Farquhar missed most of the 2018 season with the White Sox with a brain aneurysm. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal this Winter with an invite to camp. His career ERA is 3.93, and is pitching with a chip on his shoulder this season. He could be a valuable asset for the Yankees bullpen, too.

Chance Adams pitched just one game last season: an emergency start against the Red Sox, and struggled as presumed. He had ups and downs last season at AAA, but I don’t think he is MLB ready yet. He would be used however as a long reliever if he made the club.

Stephen Tarpley started last season in AA, but made it up all the way come September. Once he got adjusted, he was actually really good, especially against lefties. He would be a great lefty specialist option. If he pitched like he did last season, he should have a good shot at the MLB club.

My 25 man roster prediction:

SP: Severino, Tanaka, Paxton, Happ, CC

RP: Chapman, Betances, Britton, Ottavino, Green, Holder, Tarpley

C: Sanchez, Romine

INF: Voit, Torres, DJ, Wade, Tulo, Andujar

OF/DH: Judge, Stanton, Hicks, Gardner, Frazier

26th man: Ellsbury? Kahnle?

New York Yankees: Highlighting Significant Spring Training Position Battles

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

Spring Training for the New York Yankees will feature at least two significant position battles, at first base and left-field and possibly more depending on the configurations the infield takes.

First base remains a question mark:

Luke Voit and Greg Bird will both be vying for time at first base.  Simply put, when the season ended, Voit had the offensive firepower but Bird has the defensive prowess at first base.

Voit hit .333/.405/.689 with a 1.095 OPS in 39 games for the Yankees after being traded at the July deadline.  He provided a significant impetus for the push toward the playoffs for the Yankees.  Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said when the season ended that Voit had earned the job going into this season.  Voit has power and makes contact – will he continue his success in ’19?

Bird, on the other hand, had a poor offensive showing in ’18, hitting a painful .199/.286/.386 with a .672 OPS.  Cashman has said the job is his to win back and fans have been waiting for Bird to break out for several years, while he’s been hampered by one injury after another.  Last season, when he appeared healthy, he had little success putting that lefty bat to good use for the Yankees.  Fans would love to see Bird as Comeback Player of the Year this season.

Yankees have the choice of youth or experience in the outfield:

In left field, the Yankees can go with Brett Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton, or Clint Frazier.  Fans were either thrilled or dismayed with the resigning of Gardner because many fans hoped that the Yankees would pursue Bryce Harper for left field; however, it’s February 3rd and there’s little chance the Yankees opt to offer Harper the sort of long-term deal he appears to be seeking.

Gardner brings a veteran presence and elite defense to left field.  His offensive contribution last season was .236/.322./368 with a .690 OPS and 12 homers in 140 games.  Fans became frustrated watching Gardner hit out of the lead-off spot and garner a .322 on-base percentage.

Stanton performed admirably, despite some gaffs, in the 36 games he was patrolling left field.  Personally, I’d rather see him at DH, where he can hopefully stay healthy and have another MVP type of season.

Will Clint Frazier get an opportunity in spring training to show that he is healthy and to show that he belongs in left field?  Can he hit like he did for Scranton Wilkes-Barre last season when he was there for 48 games and hit .311 with 10 homers and a .963 OPS?  The Yankees would love to get more offensive production out of the left field spot.

Spring training is just ahead and these are just a few of the exciting position battles to keep an eye on – watch out for shortstop to be a hot spot on the field as well.

 

New York Yankees: Was Luke Voit A One Hit Wonder Or Is He A Gem?

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

On July 28th, 2018, the New York Yankees acquired first baseman Luke Voit in a deal that sent LHP Chasen Shreve and RHP Giovanny Gallegos to the St. Louis Cardinals.

This trade made Yankees fans extremely happy, but not because of Voit. Chasen Shreve had been with the Yankees since 2015, and overall pitched poorly and Brian Cashman could not move him to the minors due to him being out of minor league options.

There was hope for fans that Shreve would be DFA’d or traded, and that finally happened. Shreve had an ERA of 4.26 in 2018, and in 2016 had an ERA of over five. He wasn’t working out and traded him just to get rid of him because he really had no spot and the same as Voit with St.Louis.

Finally getting a chance with the New York Yankees:

In 2017, Luke Voit appeared in 62 games for the Cardinals 28 hits, 18 RBI, and 4 HR. That would translate of a major league average of .246 that year.

In 2018, he started the season with the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of Cardinals. He bounced up-and-down from the MLB to AAA a lot that season, not really able to get comfortable and batting for the Cardinals, but .299 for the Redbirds.

Once he was traded to NYY, he was assigned to the Scranton/Wikes-Barre Railriders and continued to rake, batting .310. With Greg Bird continuing to struggle and injuries still an issue, Voit was called up and made an immediate impact for the Yankees.

Once Voit was called up, he went right to work and took Greg Bird’s spot away. Bird was playing extremely poor, making errors and batting a terrible .199 over 82 games.

The more Voit played, the better he played. He hit a whopping .333, had an OBP of .405, and his slugging was through the roof at .689. In 39 games, he amassed 14 HR and 33 RBI. Also must note, the home-runs he was getting weren’t really with much help of the short porches down the lines of Yankee Stadium, he was hitting Aaron Judge like home-runs that were no-doubters.

He would only really sit when there was a match-up with an RHP that Aaron Boone didn’t like, so Bird or new Miami Marlin Neil Walker would start.

Other options still exist:

Though Voit had that instant success with the Yankees in 2018, many still wonder if he is the man in 2019 at first base. A lot of players have historically struggled in their sophomore season, and could he be the next?

Neil Walker signing with Miami obviously takes away any thought of him returning in 2019 to play first. DJ Lemahieu has signed for the next two seasons to be a utility player, and though he hasn’t played a lot of first base recently, he could still be an option.

Obviously, the Yankees still have Greg Bird, but it seems that he has played worse as more time goes on. Miguel Andujar could possibly play first, but that likely won’t happen unless the Yankees sign Machado. Entering the offseason, the Yankees were shopping a first baseman, expressing serious in then Arizona Diamondback Paul Goldschmit, now being traded to Voit’s previous home, St. Louis.

Several men have the opportunity to win the first base job in Spring, but will it be Voit? If it is Voit, will he have the same success? Only time can find out.