New York Yankees: Every hitter’s New Year’s resolution for 2018
A new year begins Monday and baseball players, like everyone else, will be coming up with goals for the upcoming season. Here are the ones for all of the hitters on the current Yankees roster.
Every year, people determine what they hope to improve upon in the upcoming year. And for the New York Yankees, the goal is to bring World Series No. 28 to the Bronx.
Players may have different goals, simply because they cannot single-handedly bring home the hardware to the organization. And considering on their different positions, there will be various resolutions.
Although none of the resolutions will be similar to those of average people, they will still be significant. None will be hoping to hit the gym more often or eat better, mostly because they probably already do that within their career.
However, looking back at their previous seasons, they can see some glaring issues and can hope to fix them in the new year.
New York is already considered a contender for next season before it even begins. The expectations are high for the Yankees, and fans surely hope they can accomplish what they desire.
For that to occur, the offense must be in tip-top shape. Thus, every hitter will have to look at their profile and improving their game.
Whether they should run more, be more patient – it’s all important. And based on what fans have seen in the past, they may be able to denote what each player should focus upon.
Here are some that should be considered for (just about) every hitter on the current offseason roster.
Aaron Judge: Strike out less
The Home Run Derby winner can mash – that’s evident.
However, if he doesn’t whomp a pitch over the fence, there’s a large chance that he didn’t hit it in the first place. Judge finished his first full season with the most home runs ever recorded by a rookie.
He also struck out more than any player in the league and notched a notorious milestone by whiffing in 37-straight affairs.
The silver lining is that the Yankees outfielder shows discipline at the plate more often than not. He walked in 18.7 percent of his plate appearances last season. Thus, he can be patient even against the most bewildering pitches.
Now he just has to maintain his sharp eye and ensure he isn’t fooled. That means he may have to sacrifice some power swings – home runs – to limit his strikeouts.
Judge, even with 208 strikeouts, hit .284 and had a .422 on-base percentage. But imagine how high those numbers can be if he becomes more disciplined.
Giancarlo Stanton: Visit the doctor daily
The reigning National League MVP needs to be worth every penny that he’s earning in the Bronx. Although that won’t happen due to the longevity of his contract, he still needs to be productive.
Only five players in the league posted an OPS higher than 1.000 this past season. Now the Yankees have two of them, with Stanton and Judge.
But Giancarlo Stanton can’t be a primetime player if he’s not on the field.
Stanton missed fewer than 20 games in one year for just the third time in his eight seasons. Hundreds of at-bats and home run opportunities went to moot because he was unable to be durable. Although, he wasn’t able to control getting hit in the face, so that is an exception.
The advantage of having a deep, talented roster is that Stanton will not have to play in the field every day. He will likely be in the outfield rotation, but he will get many starts at designated hitter.
Hopefully, for New York, that will allow him to see more plate appearances in the new year.
Gary Sanchez: Focus on the fielding aspects
Sanchez’s bat kept him in the lineup on a daily basis. As crazy as it sounds, it was mostly right, as former manager Joe Girardi mentioned his lackluster defense was costly.
His offensive numbers were above-average. The catcher smacked 53 homers across the past year-and-a-half. He is one of the team’s most valuable hitters, posting a .278/.354/.528 triple-slash line.
But Sanchez’s defense is still a work in progress. He committed 13 errors last season, which ranked last among catchers, along with fellow slugger Wilson Contreras.
Evidently, new manager Aaron Boone will also have a long leash on Sanchez because of his hitting ability. But the third-year player may need to surrender some starts unless he can improve behind the plate.
His focus will still be on the offensive end, as he now teams up with Judge and Stanton for one of the league’s best trio of bombers. However, his teammates may be more confident in him if he can improve his fielding skills.
Brett Gardner: Continue eating his Wheaties
The first half of the “bald brothers” had a career year in the power department, as he blasted more than 20 bombs.
He was one of nine players that notched more than 20 steals and 20 home runs this past season. And the most promising note is that 15 of his bombs would have been homers at most of the 30 ballparks.
Furthermore, he posted his best OPS at 34 years old. Age might finally catch up to Gardner this season, especially if he sees fewer starts in the field. But he’s still projected to reach the 20-mark in doubles, 15 home runs, and 16 steals.
The Yankees will take anything they can get from Gardy, as long as he can produce as well as he has in the previous few seasons. And if he hits nearly as well as he did last year, he can reach higher marks in the power numbers.
Then he can be a real Bronx Bomber. That short right field porch will help Brett Gardner, too.
Jacoby Ellsbury: Prove he is more than just a contract
Many New York fans dislike Jacoby Ellsbury. Instead, they don’t like his contract.
The former Red Sox outfielder came to the Bronx on a massive contract and has been unable to produce to that standard. As of now, he will remain on the big-league roster and find a way to contribute.
General manager Brian Cashman still desires to deal him with another team to increase cap space. But it’s been a difficult situation due to a no-trade clause and that fact that the outfielder is older and owed millions and millions of dollars.
Ellsbury can change everything if he comes out blazing hot, beginning in Spring Training. His most prominent assets are his legs, as he finished with more than 20 steals last season. Granted, that number isn’t close to what it used to be, but it’s better than nothing.
While he may not be in the outfield rotation to begin the season, he can work his way into. If not, maybe he will be on another team by then – as the club’s starting center fielder.
Didi Gregorius: Learn to use the entire field
Left-handed hitters can get by in Yankee Stadium because of the short right field porch. But that only works for home runs.
Didi Gregorius hit plenty of balls into left field, but they were mostly lazy fly balls. He notched some singles to the left side of the field via line drives, but it’s clear by his hitting charts that he focuses on pulling the ball.
More than 30 percent of the fly balls he hit were to left field, but none of them resulted in a home run. All of his homers were to left field or left-center.
Gregorius has been valuable to the Yankees, but he will be a much more dangerous hitter when he can hit for power both ways. He’s already massively improved as a hitter during his time in New York.
Now it’s time for him to take the next step forward.
Greg Bird: Learn to hit fastballs
Most power hitters feast on straight-as-an-arrow heaters. But that group doesn’t include Bird, who struggled most against the pitch in 2017.
Curveballs and changeups don’t face the left-handed slugger. He smacked three home runs against slow-balls and only struck out four times against it. The first baseman hit .313 against curveballs last season.
Timing matters, especially against hard-throwing hurlers in the later innings. Bird proved that he could mash during his stint in the minor leagues. And he’s demonstrated his power at times with his long-shots.
However, he must develop as most people in his situation do. Bird’s sample size is rather small, but analysts and fans alike noted that he would be a franchise first baseman for the Yankees.
Whether or not that is the case can be determined by the end of this season. Of course, he also needs to stay healthy, too.
Gleyber Torres: Take the rehab process slow
Reports said Torres would be 100-percent ready by Spring Training and prepared to earn a spot on New York’s roster.
While that may be true, he wouldn’t be much of a contributor if he re-injured himself during that time. Players want to be on the field, but sometimes it requires patient off the field to ensure they can continue with their careers.
Torres is the most prominent prospect in the league, and clearly, he knows that. Thus, the infielder needs to take care of himself, or he may never be a consistent contributor for the Yankees.
He could end up on the roster as soon as Opening Day. But he still most likely needs some time in the minors to build up his strength and grow.
The team shouldn’t put much pressure on him, especially since it already has such a talented roster. Within a few years, manager Aaron Boone hopes he can see Torres sporting pinstripes in the starting lineup every day.
Hopefully, he will work his way into a starting role when necessary. But what is currently more critical is Torres staying healthy until he is needed in the big leagues.
Clint Frazier: Continue to develop
Based on what reports say regarding the outfield situation, it seems like Frazier might get the short end of the stick.
Stanton, Judge, Hicks, Ellsbury, and Gardner will complete the rotation, while Frazier will be stuck in the minors unless he’s moved to a different team. Until Cashman pulls the trigger on a trade involving Frazier, the outfielder should still be motivated to improve.
Currently, he arguably will not be in the big leagues and will have to wait until an injury to occur to earn a spot on the roster. But that could change if he produces well during Spring Training.
Frazier is talented, even though he hit just .231 at the dish this past season. He’s still young and was a former top prospect, so the front office needs to be patient with him.
However, if Cashman lands a top-shelf pitcher in return, someone that can head the rotation, fans won’t be disappointed to see him leave.
But until then, the Yankees still expect great things from Frazier in the future.
Aaron Hicks: Stay consistent
As many fans know, Aaron Hicks put together an All-Star-quality season during the first half of last season. Then he sputtered in the second half, posting a measly average until the end of the postseason.
He remains a key player on the squad because of his defense and his upside. Now that fans have seen what Hicks can do at the plate, expectations are higher.
The center fielder can get by with average numbers due to his defensive ability. But if he cannot be consistent at the plate, he may lose starts to Jacoby Ellsbury or even Clint Frazier – should he be on the roster.
Considering that Hicks is not one of the renowned sluggers on the team, pitchers may not go around him so they won’t have to deal with the meat of the order.
Hicks finished last year with a .266 average and 15 home runs. He struck out just 67 times and drew 51 walks, which is an excellent ratio compared to the other Yankees.
The talent is there. But Hicks needs to focus on staying healthy and regaining his discipline and prowess at the dish.
Tyler Wade: Be smart on the basepaths
Tyler Wade doesn’t have much experience against big-league arms. Thus, for a year or so, he may struggle against them.
But he can use his speed as an advantage – one that most players on the Yankees don’t have. He must utilize it if he hopes to stay on the Yankees, whether as a starter or on the bench.
The second baseman successfully swiped bags mercilessly against minor league squads. In 524 games played throughout his baseball career thus far, he’s accumulated 119 stolen bases.
However, Wade must adjust his approach, as it is his biggest downfall. Though he garnered that many steals, catchers also hosed him 43 times. His overall stolen base percentage is about 73 percent, which is average.
Less than 30 players notched more than 20 steals last season. Wade could find himself with more than 20 if he’s smart.
If Jacoby Ellsbury sticks around, maybe he can teach the youngster a thing or two.
Miguel Andujar: Don’t get overwhelmed
Miguel Andujar enjoyed his short stint in pinstripes this past season. He captured four hits – two doubles – in just seven at-bats.
He gave Yankees fans a glimpse of what the future could hold in the hot corner. Now that Chase Headley is gone, he will need to fill in as the starter, unless Gleyber Torres or Ronald Torreyes earns the spot in Spring Training.
It will be difficult for Andujar to become accustomed because the pitching gap between Triple-A and the MLB is quite large. Not everyone can be like Gary Sanchez, either.
The third baseman’s biggest quality to assure success will be his patience. As a rookie, he will not have higher expectations like Judge and Stanton. If he doesn’t perform well enough, he will find himself back into the minor leagues.
Andujar is talented and can play at the major-league level. He just has to make sure he doesn’t get disgusted quickly if things start going south early in the year.
Ronald Torreyes: Hit the weight room
Few middle infielders can crush the ball as Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor can.
Barring some ultra transformation this offseason, Torreyes won’t be able to surpass that class of players in any hitting category. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean he can’t improve at the plate.
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The infielder doesn’t have any issues in hitting for contact. He boasts a career .282 batting but a rather scrawny .376 slugging percentage.
Not every player must be a slugger to contribute on the Yankees. But to earn playing time in New York, they will have to hit.
Being that the Yankees ranked second in runs scored last season, it may take more than 19 extra-base hits in 315 at-bats to earn a starting role.
Torreyes won’t intimidate hitters – he stands just 5-foot-8. He can be a very productive hitter in the bottom of the order.
Hitters in the No. 9 spot in the order did reasonably well last year, finishing second in the league in average and in the top 10 in RBIs.
Granted, no pitcher will be feared by anyone that late in the order solely because they won’t be as threatening as the top of the order. But imagine if Torreyes becomes a crucial hitter for the Yankees. It can happen.
Tyler Austin and Austin Romine: Learn while watching
Both players will not be getting a majority of starts. But that doesn’t mean they can’t improve in several ways.
Austin, other than hitting a home run in his first MLB at-bat, hasn’t been anything special. He may not make it on the team following Spring Training, but if he does, Bird will still start most days.
Romine will play much more, considering that catchers require more rest. And last season, he was serviceable in the bench role. However, like many backup catchers, his ability at the plate is less-than-stellar. He sported a career .220 average and clocked just seven home runs in his career.
Although both may be in the dugout more times than not while in the Bronx, they can still dissect the game and learn new approaches. There are veterans on the Yankees they can learn from.
And if they ever hope to start on any team, they will still need to improve during practice in any way they can.
Next: Yankees must trade Ellsbury next year
Everyone else: Continue to grow in the minors until they are promoted.
Several players are on this list, but here are the main ones.
Happy New Years!