New York Yankees: Gary Sanchez Atop the Batting Order?

Gary Sanchez batted second in the lineup on Saturday. He responded with a home run. Has Yankees manager Joe Girardi found the secret to the top of the batting order?

Gary Sanchez? Two-hole hitter?

Ahhh. Spring is in the sir.

It may sound bizarre having arguably the New York Yankees’ best power hitter from 2016 batting second. But that’s exactly what spring training is for: trying out new and weird things.

If Christian Bethancourt can have a 1-2-3 inning as a pitcher, Sanchez could bat second.

Sanchez, of course is, the 23-year-old catching prodigy that blew up on the scene in his 53-game debut last season. He’s been in the New York Yankees system for so long that he made Jesus Montero expendable in the infamous 2012 trade.

A roller coaster ride through the minors made Yankees fans wonder if they’d ever see Sanchez or if he was quickly becoming trade bait. A perennial top-50 prospect by Baseball America, Sanchez had some growing pains behind the plate and with his maturity, but his big bat was seemingly never in question.

He proved it last season when the Yankees finally gave him a shot. (That two at-bat stint in 2015 was by no means a real opportunity.) He slashed .299/.376/.657 with 20 home runs and 12 doubles in just 229 plate appearances. That’s a home run every 11.45 at-bats.

He nearly won Rookie of the Year in just a month an a half, leaving the Yankees no doubt on who their future backstop was.

Now the question is where will he hit?

He responded to his two-hole debut in typical Sanchez fashion, blasting a two-run home run. (He also threw out one of Detroit’s fastest base runners from his knees — but that’s neither here nor there. It’s just awesome.)

“A lot of my lineups have to do with trying to get guys the most at-bats they can get now,” Girardi told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “I’m going to look at the lineup. When we get closer, I’m going to look at doing a lot of different things and come up with what we think is the best lineup.”

The two-hole has been a struggle for the Yankees for the past several years. The top of the order in general has been a rough spot when you think about it. While the additions of Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius have given them power at the bottom of the lineup, there haven’t always been a lot of runs to drive in from the lack of the proverbial ducks on the pond.

As Hoch mentions, last season the two-hole hitters, primarily the declining Brett Gardner and the already declined Jacoby Ellsbury, slashed .264/.337/.369. Those are not the most desirable numbers, especially from the two fastest people on the team who could cause havoc on the base paths.

More from Call to the Pen

If they were ever on.

Greg Bird appears to be healthy and is the perfect image of a three-hole hitter. While Sanchez could be attractive as the cleanup hitter, big swinging Chris Carter could be nice in that role. Matt Holliday behind him and then the 41 combined home runs from Castro and Gregorius last season, and suddenly this often-anemic offense of recent years becomes exciting.

“I feel fine wherever they put me,” Sanchez told Hoch. “Wherever the manager wants to have me in the lineup, I’m fine with that. Just being in the lineup is a good feeling. You feel good to be in the lineup, so wherever that is, I’m happy.

“The approach is the same. I go out there to do what I know how to do. I have the same approach: very good contact.”

It is still early in spring training. A lot could still change. But Girardi may be on to something with one of his most exciting young hitters atop the lineup.

Next: Brett Gardner Is the Yankees' Wise, Old Sage

Only time will tell.

Incidentally, “Big Mike” Michael Pineda had five straight strikeouts in yesterday’s 11-1 onslaught. I guess you can thank El Gary for that, too.

Home/New York Yankees