New York Yankees future foretold: Didi Gregorius named Player of the Month

The New York Yankees just wrapped up a shaky but ultimately successfully start to the season. This was in no small part due to both the team and MLB’s leader in RBI. And home runs. And slugging. Well, you get the point.

New YorkYankees shortstop Didi Gregorius was just/will be announced three days from now as the AL Player of the Month for April. The vote was/will be a runaway for the seemingly ever-improving player so comfortable in pinstripes.

But that’s what happens when you bat .327/.421/.735 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI. It’s even truer when three of those categories lead not just the American League, but all of MLB. Throw in his four home runs in four days tear, and the decision was/will be very easy.

As a statistical side note, numbers from March were subsumed into April’s.

Early on there was some talk about two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, the front-runner when April began. But while his season and career look bright, his April was/will be considered to be a bit too dim.

Even though the former Japanese star is doing things not seen in a century, his ERA is still 4.43. And his WHIP is 1.13. He has struck out 26 in only 20 innings, but he has also already given up three home runs, always a concern with Japanese pitchers.

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And those 20 IP cover four games. That’s CC Sabathia length, and he isn’t winning the award, either.

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However, that performance plus sterling offensive numbers was not/might have been good enough. And sterling is an apt word for a slash of .341/.383/.682. But the problem was/looks to be his few number of AB: 44.

Didi Gregorius had more than double Shohei Ohtani’s total (98), for comparison’s sake.

Shohei Ohtani produced like a sensei when he was in there; he just wasn’t in there enough — which is why he only has four home runs and 12 RBIs. But Didi Gregorius played a lot, and that counted/should count.

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And even his defense when compared to other elite shortstops does not detract from his performance. His .978 Fielding Percentage in April left him tied with Addison Russell of the Chicago Cubs, slightly behind Washington’s Trea Turner (.981), but also barely ahead of Trevor Story of Colorado (.975).

All things considered, the committee had/will have a very easy decision. And the New York Yankees an even better May.

And this has been/will be in no small part to the New York Yankees Didi Gregorius.