The New York Yankees have a powerhouse offense that could easily boast six to seven guys with 20 home runs. But of all the free-swinging sluggers, which one will hit the most bombs next season?
Every game at Yankee Stadium could essentially turn into a home run derby for the New York Yankees.
New York already smacked the most homers of any team in 2017. Then general manager Brian Cashman added outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to the mix.
Stanton truly fits in perfectly with the “Bronx Bombers” title, as he’s crushed 267 career bombs already. That ranks 15th among active players, and he’s still just 27 years old.
The former face of the Marlins’ franchise joins a crew of power hitters in Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Didi Gregorius. Throw in the Greg Bird’s potential as a slugger and a full season from Aaron Hicks, and the New York Yankees could have six players that exceed the 30-homer mark.
With the juiced ball phenomenon and the rise of home runs in the league as a whole, New York could see a couple of dingers every evening. Now the club needs to find a section named for Stanton – is he the bailiff in the “Judge’s Chamber”?
Analysts and fans typically convey Yankee Stadium as one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the league.
They aren’t wrong.
It ranks second in park factors in the home run category, slightly behind Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. One reason for this is the short right-field porch, which sits 314 feet from home plate down the line. The distance stretches to 385 in right-center, but it is still shallow compared to most other parks.
There were 47 home runs hit that failed to reach 370 feet in distance. Only two stadiums had more home runs that fell into that category – Safeco Field with 50 and Minute Maid Park with a whopping 65.
While the shortest home run hit in all of last season was 321 feet at Fenway Park, Yankees Stadium was home to one at 327 a few in the 330s. That means Bird, Gregorius, and Brett Gardner all somewhat has an advantage.
With all of these hitters’ hitting capability, it’s somewhat difficult to forecast who will launch more home runs next season. But everyone, including myself, has a guesstimate.