With any move, there are Yankee fans that do not like the deal. I do not quite understand how one could dislike this move by Cashman. Happ might not be the greatest pitcher in the world but he is a proven veteran. While pitching in the vaunted AL East, J.A. Happ has compiled a 1.5 WARP this season. In two starts this season against the very team the Yankees are chasing, the Red Sox, Happ has posted a sparkling 0.84 ERA. If anything, adding Happ to does not hurt the Yankees.

Meanwhile, Brandon Drury simply did not have a role on this Yankees team. With Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar manning second and third, respectively, there was nowhere for Drury to get consistent playing time. In the 18 games Drury did appear in this season, he slashed .176/.263/.275. Not exactly sparkling numbers. There was zero reason for Cashman to hold onto Drury just so he could rot in AAA for the rest of the season. The second player heading to Toronto, Billy McKinney, is a solid prospect. He is a former first round pick by the Oakland Athletics and the Yankees acquired him two years ago from the Chicago Cubs in the Aroldis Chapman deal. The problem? McKinney is an outfielder and, if you didn’t know, the Yankees have a few of those. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Clint Frazier are all ahead of McKinney in the pecking order. With McKinney expendable, it makes sense that Cashman was willing to include him in this deal.

Whether or not you like J.A. Happ, this was a deal that Cashman had to make. The Yankees desperately needed to add to their rotation and Cashman traded from positions of depth to add to a position of weakness. Do not prospect hug. The Yankees needed a pitcher who could contribute at the big-league level right now and they got that in Happ.

 1. Didi Gregorius Continues to Make History Weekly

Didi Gregorius is off to a blazing start and he is showing no signs of slowing down. On Monday night, Gregorius continued his torrid start blasting two home runs against the Miami Marlins. It’s Gregorius’ second two home run game of the season (It’s still April!).

Didi Gregorius is the 1^st Yankees shortstop with two two-home-run games in a single season since Derek Jeter in 2004.

Didi Gregorius is also just the 5^th shortstop in Yankees history with two two-home-run games in a single season.

No Yankee shortstop has ever had three two-home-run games in a single season. Gregorius will have the next five months to try to change that.

 2. Aaron Hicks Goes Flying Around the Bases

Aaron Hick’s returned from the DL this past week and immediately made his presence known. Hicks crushed a ball to deep right centerfield on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers that took a fortuitous bounce. Once the ball started rolling around in the outfield, Hick’s picked up the steam with his eyes on home.

Hicks slid into home with a huge smile on his face as he became the 1^st Yankee with an inside-the-park home run since Curtis Granderson on August 21, 2011, against the Minnesota Twins.

I happened to be at Comerica Park that night and it was quite the moment. Oh, he also hit another home run later in that game but that time it was via the conventional method.

 3. Is Luis Severino Elite?

If you were not sure what the answer to the question posed above is I’ll help you out: Yes. Luis Severino has been dominant in all but one of his starts this season. Let’s take a quick look at his pitching lines from Opening Day and from April 16^th’s game against the Miami Marlins:

Opening Day: 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, W

April 16^th: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, W

Luis Severino is the first Yankees’ starter to have multiple outings allowing one or fewer hits and zero runs while earning the victory in the same season since CC Sabathia achieved the feat twice in 2010.

Luis Severino is the first RH starter for the Yankees to allow one or fewer hits and zero runs while earning the victory in multiple starts in the same season since Scott Sanderson (1991).

Luis Severino is also just the fifth starter in Yankees history with multiple outings allowing one or fewer hits and zero runs while earning the victory in a single season.

 4. Gary Sanchez Powers the Yankees to Victory at Fenway Park

Gary Sanchez got off to a relatively slow start to the season and that is being somewhat kind. Having said that, Sanchez has been heating up of late and he showed off his power last Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Sanchez finished that game with three hits – two of them being home runs – and four RBI.

Gary Sanchez is the first Yankees hitter with 2+ HR, 3+ H, & 4+ RBI in a game at Fenway Park since Mark Teixeira on April 21, 2012.

Gary Sanchez is also the first catcher in Yankees history with 2+ HR, 3+ H, & 4+ RBI in a game at Fenway Park.

List of Yankees 25-or-younger with 2+ HR, 2+H, & 4+ RBI in a game at Fenway Park:

Lou Gehrig (1927)

Ben Chapman (1931)

Roger Maris (1960)

Gary Sanchez (2018)

Not bad company.

5. Time to Panic? The Yankees are .500 (8-8) through the team’s first 16 games

If you had April in your pool of “when will Yankee fans panic” you win. To be fair, the team has looked abysmal at times. Nonetheless, it’s only been 16 games and it’s not the first time the Yankees have gotten off to a sluggish start. Prior to this season, the Yankees have started 8-8 on three separate occasions since 2000:

2004

2006

2007

What do those three seasons have in common?

They Yankees made the playoffs all three years. In 2004, the team finished 101-61. In 2006, the Yankees went 97-65. In 2007, the Yankees were 94-68.

The Yankees would obviously prefer to have a record better than 8-8 but it’s April and it’s not time to panic about the 2018 squad. The team is too talented to play .500 ball for an entire 162-game season.

Photo Credit: Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports

1. Perhaps a 5-5 Start Isn’t *That* Bad

Panic has already set in among New York Yankee fans. Through the team’s first ten games, the Yankees are a .500 team. Don’t panic. Yes, it would be ideal if the Yankees got off to a better start but it is not the end of the world. In fact, the last time the Yankees won the World Series (2009) they also started 5-5. The Yankees finished that season 103-59. Does that mean anything for the 2018 Yankees? Probably not, but it also shows that it is not the time to panic. At least not yet.

2. Didi Gregorius is a Walking Machine

Didi Gregorius is off to a red-hot start at the plate slashing .375/.524/.906 with three home runs and 10 RBI through his first 10 games. Those numbers a pretty impressive in themselves. However, perhaps the most impressive statistic on the back of Gregorius’ baseball card so far this season is the line that reads nine walks. That’s nearly one walk per game. To put this into perspective, Gregorius walked a total of 25 times last season. In fact, he never walked more than seven times in a single month in 2017. Here are his monthly walk totals last season:

May: 5
June: 1
July: 7
August: 6
September: 6

He has already walked NINE times and there are still three weeks left in April. Gregorius continues to develop at the plate and this is just another example of how he has improved as a hitter.

3. The New York Yankees Tough Loss

The Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 in extra innings on Sunday. The Yankees pitching failed their offense that managed to record 16 hits and seven runs. How rare is it that the Yankees lost a home game where they put up those type of offensive numbers? It’s the first time the Yankees have lost at home in a game where they scored seven or more runs and recorded 16 or more hits since they lost to the Seattle Mariners 15-11 on May 4, 2007. It’s only the third time it has happened in the past 21 seasons. Sunday was a loss the Yankees will definitely want to forget.

4. Where’s The Defense?

There is a multitude of reasons that the Yankees have started the season 5-5. However, the team’s defense might be the best explanation for their relatively sluggish start. The Yankees lead the American League with 10 team errors. Brandon Drury leads the way with three early errors. The team will certainly have to sure up their defense if they want to be competitive in 2018.

5. Giancarlo Stanton on the Wrong Side of History

Giancarlo Stanton has had a rough start to his Yankee tenure. In a span of five days, Stanton had two five strikeout games where he did not record a hit. It’s the first time in MLB History that a player has had multiple five strikeout games with zero hits in a single season. Stanton did it twice in the same week! Don’t freak out Yankee fans. In 2012, Bryce Harper went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts against who else but the Yankees. It’s certainly not an ideal outcome for Stanton, but he has been an extremely streaky hitter throughout his career. He’ll heat up with the weather.

Giancarlo Stanton’s Yankee debut was highly anticipated and he did not disappoint blasting an opposite-field home run in his first at bat. He finished the game 3 for 5 with two home runs and four RBI.

Giancarlo Stanton became just the 7^th player in Yankee history to hit a pair of home runs on Opening Day.

Stanton is the first to achieve this feat in 55 years when Joe Pepitone slugged two home runs against the Kansas City Royals on April 9, 1963.

2. Luis Severino Dominates in Season Debut 

Luis Severino has looked nearly unhittable in his first two starts this season. On Opening Day, he overpowered the Toronto Blue Jays with his blistering fastball and making them look foolish with his devastating slider. He finished the afternoon tossing 5.2 innings while allowing just one hit and zero runs. In his following start, Severino made quick work of the Tampa Bay Rays to improve his record to 2-0.

Luis Severino is the first SP in Yankee history to allow zero runs and one or fewer hits on Opening Day.

Luis Severino is the youngest SP to allow zero runs and one or fewer hits on Opening Day since 1940.

Luis Severino is the first Yankees SP to start the season 2-0 since Andy Pettitte started 3-0 in 2013.

3. Didi Gregorius Shines in the Rain 

Derek Jeter who? Okay, Yankee fans will never forget about Jeter and everything he accomplished, but Gregorius has certainly made the transition as smooth as possible. Gregorius set all kinds of records blasting 2 home runs and 8 RBI in the Yankees home opener.

He’s the only shortstop in Yankee history with 8+ RBI in a single game. 

He’s the only player in MLB History with 8+ RBI in his teams home opener. 

List of SS in MLB History with 2+ HRs and 8+ RBI in a single game:

Cal Ripken

Nomar Garciaparra

Miguel Tejeda

Didi Gregorius

Not a bad list.

4. The New York Yankees Start 2-0

Okay, it is just two games. Does it mean anything that the Yankees won the first two games of the season? Probably not.

However, somewhat surprisingly, it is the first time the Yankees have started 2-0 since 2011.

Additionally, the Yankees reached the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons in which they started 2-0.

In those seven seasons, the Yankees managed to reach the World Series four times winning the championship twice.

Thirty – maybe even twenty – years ago the idea of a player of Judge’s stature hitting first would have never been considered. The prototypical leadoff hitter has always been the small, speedy player who can wreak havoc on the base paths. Judge’s 6’7″ 282 lbs. frame does not quite fit this description. Neither does his 52 home runs and 114 RBI he put up in his rookie campaign. With that said, there is a lot about Judge’s game at the plate that could make him an ideal fit for the leadoff spot.

Ever since the beginning of the Moneyball era, teams have emphasized players who have innate ability to reach base. Last season, Judge reached base at one of the highest clips in all of baseball. His .422 OBP ranked third in MLB behind only Joey Votto and Mike Trout. Judge was the first rookie with a .420+ OBP since Minnie Minoso achieved the feat in 1951. Judge’s keen eye at-the-plate helped him finish among the leaders in OBP. He set a rookie record with 127 walks last season which ranked second in MLB last season to Joey Votto’s 134. No other Yankee that qualified for the batting title had an OBP above .352. The Yankees primary leadoff hitter Brett Gardner finished the season with a .350 OBP or .072 points lower than Judge’s.

Another way I can convince you that it isn’t an absurd idea to bat Judge leadoff is to look at his pitches per plate appearance. Every time I turned on the TV and Judge was up he seemed to be in a 3-2 count. It was quite impressive. He managed to reach that feat in 172 PAs or 25.3% of the time. That’s one every four PAs. Unsurprisingly, Judge ended up leading the AL averaging 4.41 pitchers per plate appearance. He’s also still only 25-years-old, and his plate discipline should get better with experience.

The majority of the people arguing that Judge should not bat in the leadoff spot will claim that it would end up hurting the Yankees because he will end up hitting more solo home runs and, accordingly, his RBI total will see a decrease. Maybe that’s true. But you also now have Stanton to drive in runners like Judge. I also would propose that the Yankees bat Gardner 9th, keeping him as a “second” leadoff hitter. This would help flip over the lineup and make sure that there are runners on base when Judge is up more often than not.

Aaron Judge is not your prototypical leadoff hitter, and that’s okay. Typical does not win you championships. Judge gets on-base at an exceptional rate, and his patience at the plate works in the leadoff spot. You don’t have to bat Judge first every game, but it could occasionally benefit the Yankees. Boone might be on to something, and you can’t become great without taking risks along the way.

(Photo Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports)

1. The Yankees Have a Historically Tall Team 

The Yankees Opening Day roster is expected to consist of five players 6’6″-or-taller:

Dellin Betances: 6’8″ 

Aaron Judge: 6’7″ 

Giancarlo Stanton: 6’6″

CC Sabathia: 6’6″ 

Jordan Montgomery: 6’6″ 

That list sounds more like a starting five in the NBA. To put it into perspective, no team in MLB history has ever had five players – 6’6″ or taller – each appear in at least 25 games in the same season. Assuming all five players mentioned avoid significant injury, the Yankees would break the previous record held by four teams (Padres, Reds, Marlins, and Diamondbacks). Personally, I would not want to get into a fight with this team.

2. The Youth Movement is Legit 

The Yankees’ expected Opening Day roster is not only tall, but it is also extremely young. The team figures to break camp with only seven of the 25-man roster (28%) 30-or-older:

CC Sabathia: 37-years-old

Brett Gardner: 34-years-old

Jacoby Ellsbury: 34-years-old 

David Robertson: 33-years-old 

Aroldis Chapman: 30-years-old 

Adam Warren: 30-years-old

Dellin Betances: 30-years-old 

Now, this is not to say that only seven players 30+ years-old will play for the Yankees in 2018, but in a perfect world, the Yankees would probably hope that that would be the case. How rare would it be? The last time the Yankees had fewer than 10 players 30+ years-old make an appearance in a season was in 1971 (nine). The last time the team had just seven? 1964. It’s only happened in 11 seasons since 1901, with 10 of those 11 instances occurring between 1911-1931. It might not happen in 2018, but it’s certainly possible and it would be quite the feat.

Note: All Ages are of 6/30/2018

3. A-A-Ron 

Aaron Judge. Aaron Hicks. Aaron Boone. The Yankees are seemingly collecting Aaron’s left-and-right. Can you blame them after watching Key & Peele’s famous “Substitute Teacher” skit? The 2015 Philadelphia Phillies are the only team in MLB history to ever roster three Aaron’s in one season. Now, we are bending the rules slightly because Boone is the manager and not an active player, but we will count it. Maybe the Yankees trio can get some advice from the Phillies on how to avoid confusion within the clubhouse. I wonder if you could assemble a competitive team with only players named A-A-Ron.

Photo Credit: Anthony Gruppuso / USA TODAY Sports

The scene was nothing short of a circus as spectators ‘oohed’ and awed at the sight of baseballs taking flight. The trio did not disappoint, launching home runs in every direction, some of which might still be in orbit.

Gary Sanchez hit a ball into outer space:

Gary Sanchez just hit one to the moon pic.twitter.com/Z75vYekg1e

— Jesse Foster (@Jesse__Foster) February 19, 2018

When speaking to reporters following the BP session, manager Aaron Boone said, “Gary rakes. That’s what I think. He’s special.” It seems Sanchez is the forgotten man with Judge and Stanton in town but he shouldn’t be. You mustn’t sleep on El Gary. He has more than enough power to keep pace with Judge and Stanton.

Aaron Judge followed suit crushing one to left:

Aaron Judge hit a baseball and I’m still not sure where it landed pic.twitter.com/9WzJTshEdV — Jesse Foster (@Jesse__Foster) February 19, 2018

Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton sent one to dead center with absolute ease:

Giancarlo Stanton with unbelievably easy power pic.twitter.com/wObfB03gtj

— Jesse Foster (@Jesse__Foster) February 19, 2018

The blast impressed Judge who told reporters, “Stanton’s off the scoreboard, that was pretty nice.”

If anything, the first day of full-squad spring training illustrated that the Yankees’ season will probably be a must-see event. Fans—both at home and on the road—will fill stadiums early to get a look at the trio take batting practice and the media will follow every move made by both Stanton and Judge. It will be fun to watch and the players should enjoy and relish the opportunity. Nonetheless, it is imperative that the Yankees are able to ignore outside distractions and focus on what is important: baseball. It might take some time to adapt to the spotlight put on this 2018 Yankee team but that’s what spring training is for.

It should be a fun ride and the circus has already begun.

Photo credit: Vectors by vecteezy.com

Team Statistics

Record: 96-66

Runs Scored: 823

Runs Allowed: 671

AVG/OBP/SLG (TAv): .251/.323/.438 (.265)

Total WARP: 41.1 (20.1 pitching, 21 non-pitching)

PECOTA projects the Yankees to easily win its first American League East title in six years, beating out the Boston Red Sox by nine games in the standings. The Yankees 96 wins are the fourth most in MLB and third most in the AL behind the two opponents they faced in the playoffs last season, the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros. In the past few seasons, the Yankees have typically outperformed PECOTA’s predictions. This season is different as the Yankees are hoping that everything goes as planned and they are able to live up to PECOTA’s predictions.

Offensive Team Leaders

AVG: Gary Sanchez (.269)

OBP: Aaron Judge & Giancarlo Stanton (.356)

SLG: Giancarlo Stanton (.552)

HR: Giancarlo Stanton (41)

SB: Brett Gardner (19)

WARP: Gary Sanchez (4.4)

Unsurprisingly, PECOTA loves the Yankees offense. The 823 projected runs scored are second in MLB just behind the reigning World Series Champion Houston Astros (850). Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are projected to hit 37 and 41 HRs, respectively. With the two large adult sons in town, Gary Sanchez’s powerful bat has become lost in the shuffle. PECOTA has not forgotten as it projects Sanchez to hit a career-high 34 HRs in 2018. Greg Bird is the only other Yankee projected to hit over 20 HRs and he is projected to surpass that mark by eight HRs. That would also be Bird’s career-high and it is obviously dependent on whether he can finally stay healthy for a full-season. Meanwhile, I am sure the majority of people would pick Judge or Stanton to lead the Yankees in WARP, but PECOTA sees Sanchez leading the team with a 4.4 WARP. That is not a shot at Judge or Stanton but rather an indication of just how good Sanchez is and can be.

Speed is clearly the glaring weakness. Brett Gardner is well-beyond the wrong side of 30 and no other Yankee is projected to reach double-digit steals this season. Could it hurt them? Of course, but the Yankees are not necessarily a slow team and hitting HRs in every direction should help make-up for any speed they lack on the base path. PECOTA also does not love the Yankees offense in terms of batting average. Judge (.247) and Hicks (.236) are projected to see a steep decline in that department this season and PECOTA has zero Yankees batting over .270. Batting average is far from the most important offensive statistics, especially when you have players that can reach base other ways. Having said that, I would be surprised if the Yankees do not outpace PECOTA’s batting average predictions.

Starting Pitching Team Leaders

ERA: Luis Severino (3.22)

WHIP: Luis Severino (1.15)

SO: Luis Severino (205)

Wins: Luis Severino (15)

WARP: Luis Severino (4.1)

That is a clean sweep for Luis Severino who is coming off a breakout season that saw him finish 3rd in the AL CY Young race. PECOTA thinks Severino is the real deal and expects him to somewhat replicate his all-star numbers from one season ago. I think the Yankees would sign up for PECOTA’s predictions for Severino in 2018. I certainly would. PECOTA is also bullish on Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray predicting that they add 2.4 and 2.5 WARP, respectively. That’s a pretty formidable 1-2-3.

Nonetheless, starting pitching is the weakest part of the Yankees roster and some of that has to do with the fact that the team’s offense and bullpen both have the potential to be the best in MLB. Still, starting pitching is the area that could most likely ruin the team’s aspirations of winning the World Series. As mentioned, As mentioned, the teams 1-2-3 of Severino, Tanaka, and Gray are very strong but PECOTA does not expect CC Sabathia to be the crafty old lefty that he was last year. Sabathia projects to have a 4.85 ERA with a WHIP near 1.50 and contribute just 0.6 WARP. Montgomery projects to have a slightly better season than Sabathia, but you have to believe that the Yankees are hoping that Montgomery can produce more than a 0.9 WARP.

Bullpen Team Leaders

ERA: Dellin Betances (2.07)

WHIP: Dellin Betances (1.05)

SO: Dellin Betances (112)

WARP: Dellin Betances (2.2)

Dellin Betances has reached four-straight all-star games which is quite a feat for a reliever. Nonetheless, Betances’ stock took a major hit at the end of last season due to his immense struggles commanding his pitches. A key part of Betances’ past success is his ability to be effectively wild and PECOTA believes that he will find whatever he lost at the end of 2017. The Yankees would love to have lockdown Betances back and those projections almost certainly would earn him a fifth straight all-star game appearance.

Just how good is the Yankees bullpen? Besides Betances, PECOTA projects four other relievers to add 1.0+ WARP. Aroldis Chapman (1.7), David Robertson (1.4), Tommy Kahnle (1.1), and Chad Green (1.1) round out what should be a fearsome five-some. You add it all together and PECOTA predicts that these five relievers will add a combined 7.5 WARP. That’s spectacular. Let’s not forget about Adam Warren either. The Yankees bullpen is filled with flamethrowers and has the depth to sustain success over the course of a 162-game season.

The bottom line is that PECOTA really likes the 2018 New York Yankees and, with the offseason moves the team made, that should not come as a huge surprise. Spring Training is here and the regular season is rapidly approaching. Buckle up and sit back while we watch to see if the Yankees can live up to PECOTA’s expectations.

1. Brett Gardner: The wily veteran of the team. Brett Gardner might not be the best hitter on the team and he might not get on base the most but if there is one thing Gardner excels at its prolonging at-bats. He fouls off pitch after pitch much to the dismay of the opposing pitcher—just ask Cody Allen. He finished tied for sixth in the American League in pitches per plate appearance (4.23) and because of that, Gardner is the ideal hitter to set the table for the rest of the lineup.

2. Aaron Judge: Aaron Judge burst onto the scene in 2017 establishing himself as one of the best hitters in baseball. He was voted unanimous American League Rookie of the Year and finished 2nd in American League MVP voting. Judge, like Gardner, is very meticulous at the plate. Last season, he led the AL in pitches per plate appearance (4.41) and base-on-balls (127). In previous seasons, a player with such enormous power would typically be slotted in the third or fourth spot. However, there has been a significant push over the past few years by the sabermetric community for teams to bat their best hitter second. Judge excelled in the two-hole last season slashing .327/.465/.827 with 13 HRs and 27 BBs in 28 games. Those are some gaudy numbers.

3. Didi Gregorius: Wait, what? After the Yankees acquired Stanton, Didi joked on Twitter that he probably would not be batting cleanup next season.

@AaronBoone Hey Skip am i still batting 4th ??? pic.twitter.com/oUadnUmf7i

— Sir Didi Gregorius (@DidiG18) December 9, 2017

That’s true. He should actually bat third instead. It might be somewhat surprising to see Didi’s name this high up in a lineup that’s filled with talent from top-to-bottom but there are a few reasons why he belongs here. Focusing on splitting up righties and lefties might be overrated but that is not the only reason Didi should bat third to start the season. Last year, 22 of his 25 home runs came against right-handed pitching and 59 of his 67 career home runs have come against right-handed pitching. Despite the drop in power, Didi hits lefties relatively well which makes him a tough matchup at the plate. Having Didi in this slot forces the opposing manager to make a decision. One thing’s for sure, the opposing manager does not want a left-handed pitcher on the mound when the next guy comes up to the plate.

(Side note: You could argue that if you want left-handed hitter in this spot it should be Greg Bird. The issue is that people tend to forget that Bird only has 348 career plate appearances. Batting Bird lower in the order will take the stress off of him early on in the season, but with a solid start, he could certainly find himself in this spot sooner rather than later.)

4. Giancarlo Stanton: Not much explanation is needed. He is the reigning National League MVP, he is the reigning MLB home run leader, he is a professional baseball killer and he mashes left-handed pitching. In his career, Stanton’s slash line increases by more than .30 points across the board when facing a left-handed pitcher. Putting a left-handed hitter in the spot before him could help the Yankees maximize the number of at-bats Stanton receives against left-handed pitching.

5. Gary Sanchez: Finding the ideal lineup spot for El Gary was difficult because he is probably the third most talented hitter in the lineup behind Judge and Stanton. In the five-hole, Sanchez provides solid protection for Stanton and it also takes Sanchez out of the spotlight. Although it is a small sample size, Sanchez appeared much more relaxed and comfortable last season hitting lower in the order. Judge the numbers for yourself:

Batting 2^nd: .226/.295/.417 in 32 games

Batting 3^rd: .270/.17/.483 in 42 games

Batting 5^th: .447/.549/.737 in 12 games

Batting 6^th: .419/.479/.884 in 11 games

6. Greg Bird: As I mentioned, although it feels like Bird has been in the league forever, he only has 348 career plate appearances. Putting Bird here to start the season will allow him to adjust to hopefully playing his first full season in the big leagues. As long as he stays healthy, I would expect his smooth left-handed swing to find itself in the third-hole relatively soon.

7. Aaron Hicks: Aaron Hicks has become the forgotten man in the Yankee lineup. He had a breakout year at the plate last season, setting career-highs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, and walks. However, injuries derailed his hot-start and he ended up playing in only 88 games. This is the first spring that Hicks will be heading into camp with a starting role and I expect him to build off of last season’s success.

8. Miguel Andujar: How could you bat someone with a career .571 batting average eighth? Okay, he only has seven career plate appearances. The departure of Chase Headley this offseason has opened up the starting third base job and it appears it is Andujar’s to lose. Baseball Prospectus recently ranked Andujar the sixth best prospect in the Yankees very deep system. Of Andujar, they wrote “a tremendous athlete with lightning in his wrists.” Realistically, the Yankees could still go out and sign a veteran to solidify their infield, but if they elect to go young I would expect Andujar to bat eighth.

9. Gleyber Torres: Torres has enormous potential but he has never played at the major league level. Baseball Prospectus ranked him the best prospect in the Yankees system and wrote of Torres that “he combines an advanced feel for hitting with extremely quick hands and wrists.” The reason I have Torres ninth is that it allows him to take a backseat and adapt to the big leagues. The main reason Torres – not Andujar – is batting ninth is because I prefer the better hitter to turn the lineup over. With his skill-set, Torres should not find himself at the bottom of the order too often in his career.

Brian Cashman has assembled a powerful offense and if I was Aaron Boone this is how I would structure the lineup. We’re just two weeks away from Spring Training and you can already feel the excitement surrounding this juggernaut offense. If everything goes as planned, the Yankees should once again find themselves at the top of nearly every offensive statistical category in 2018.

Some of you may be unfamiliar with a man named Chad Bohling. He is the unsung hero of the Yankees success. Bohling has been with the club since 2005 when George Steinbrenner hired him to be the team’s Director of Mental Conditioning. At the time, only about a third of the league employed a mental skills coach. It was relatively uncommon and, more importantly, a position that wasn’t necessarily highly regarded. In fact, at the time of Bohling’s hiring the New York Times headline read “Steinbrenner Hires Motivational Coach (Don’t Laugh)”. The all so subtle “Don’t Laugh” reflected the viewpoint of the majority of people at the time: it was a joke. It’s somewhat ironic that something so vital to success was viewed as a punch-line.

Teams invest hundreds of millions of dollars into their players. They are their clubs’ greatest assets, so why not treat them as such? It is obvious that elite physical skill is crucial to becoming a successful athlete but it isn’t the only skill imperative to develop. Baseball, in particular, is viewed as a game within a game. There’s a tremendous amount of downtime to think, to second guess yourself, and to lose self-confidence. The skill of self-confidence is one that impacts play on the diamond day-in-and-day-out. Yes, self-confidence is a skill. Some players are more naturally adept at being composed in pressure-filled situations while other players crack at the first sight of stress but that doesn’t mean the latter cannot improve their performance in high pressured moments.

Dr. Ivan Joseph, who has been the Director of Athletics at Ryerson University in Toronto for over a decade, gave a Ted Talk in 2012 titled “The Skill of Self-Confidence.” In his speech, Dr. Joseph emphasizes his belief that self-confidence can be taught. He believes self-confidence “…to be the ability or belief to believe in yourself, to accomplish any task, no matter the odds, no matter the difficulty, no matter the adversity.” Lack of self-confidence is typically accompanied by the fear of failure or embarrassment. Those who are most successful in baseball, or any profession for that matter, are those who do not fear failure but instead embrace it. Babe Ruth once said, “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” It seems so simple, yet it is one of the hardest skills to polish. Dr. Joseph’s concluding remarks were candid, yet simple, “No one will believe in you unless you do.” In other words, it is extremely difficult to be a professional baseball player if you do not believe in yourself.

Self-confidence is just one of a plethora of mental skills, all which are closely connected. that can be developed and taught to improve a baseball player’s performance on the diamond. This past season, Toronto Blue Jays closer Robert Osuna disclosed that he was battling with anxiety. Like any physical injury, Osuna was placed on the disabled list so he had time to heal. Osuna’s bravery shined a light on the importance of mental health, an issue that is often dismissed and suppressed within the sports world.

Hiring mental skill coaches has recently become a trend among sports teams. It is a movement – albeit a relatively quiet one – that has taken baseball by storm. Chicago Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer said, “Your mental-skills coach is no different than a hitting coach. He’s a guy that can really help your players get better.” If there is one thing baseball teams are always searching for, it is how to gain a competitive advantage. As Seattle Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto explained this past year, “We have to make sure that our players are prepared both mentally and physically.” In the early 2000s, Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics sparked the analytical-driven era that led to a race to the top. The A’s competitive advantage waned as other franchises joined the movement and in a lot of ways, the mental health movement is following a similar path.

The Yankees managed to get out in front of the mental conditioning movement by hiring Bohling in 2005. Over a decade later, Bohling still plays an integral role within the organization. One of the most, if not the most, important aspects of developing mental skills is building close-knit relationships. Bohling along with his colleagues have preached the importance of emotional connections and relationships. Bohling has brought in Steve Shenbaum, who specializes in communication, to help lead bonding sessions. Without close relationships, chemistry is limited and without chemistry, winning is that much harder.

In the end, a mental skills coach is no different than a hitting or pitching coach. A player’s character and mental makeup are undeniably important and the Yankees, and the rest of baseball have taken notice. Mental health is not a joke and it is an obstacle that lies on the path to success.

Sources:

The Associated Press, “M.L.B. Teams Nurture Mental Health.” The New York Times April 11, 2015

Jack Curry, “Steinbrenner Hires Motivational Coach (Don’t Laugh).” The New York Times April 14, 2005

Joel Sherman, “Yankees have big chemistry questions to answer in offseason.” New York Post October. 11 2017

Kurt Schlosser, “Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto: Team is at cutting edge of analyzing players’ mental health – and they eat right too.” Geekwire.com June 22, 2017