New York Yankees legend Paul O’Neill supports Miguel Andujar’s starting status

The New York Yankees have better problems to solve now than they did when the season began. And no topic is being more hotly debated out there in Yankees Universe than who should start starting at third, Miguel Andujar or Brandon Drury.

When the New York Yankees season started, they suddenly seemed to need players everywhere they looked. The infield, the outfield, the relieving corps…sometimes it seemed they could barely field a team.

Those days are mostly behind them. Players such as Tyler Austin and Aaron Hicks have solidified positions and stabilized the depth chart. Now the Yankees are having rich-people problems, meaning in this case too many players.

Greg Bird is likely to be back before the calendar changes again, and Clint Frazier is starting to hit home runs. And don’t discount the recent promotion of Thairo Estrada to Triple-A, and the upward pressure he will soon apply.

Third Time is a Charm

But of course, no bag is being more closely watched than that of third: Miguel Andujar or Brandon Drury? People are lined up on both sides of this, and there are plenty of good arguments to go around.

There are those, like your faithful scribe here, who think it unwise and imprudent to move Miguel Andujar off the base.

In brief, Miguel Andujar has been an excellent prospect for at least the last two years and is currently ranked 63rd. The combination of his slash (.289/.302/.566), three home runs, and AL leading 12 doubles make him look like a great prospect already adapting to major league pitching.

And his much-debated fielding is already better than people realize. Miguel Andujar currently holds a .950 Fielding Percentage (FP) and has committed two errors in 18 games in the field.

That’s better than Rafael Devers of Boston with his .937 FP and five errors in 26 games. And the Cubbies’ Kris Bryant (.922/five errors in 19 games). He might not be as good as the Astro’s Alex Bregman and his .962, but even he has three errors in 29 games.

Miguel Andujar is indeed a major league defender.

Speaking Up

Anyone who watched the series before the one with the Angels heard Paul O’Neill make his feelings clear.

To paraphrase, he felt there was no way the New York Yankees should even think of removing Miguel Andujar no matter who comes back. He also mentioned more than once that the players in the clubhouse agree. But that comes with at least a few grains of salt.

Paulie might have actual knowledge. Obviously, he is more than just a member of the media in that room. So it is more than possible he was speaking for some of the current New York Yankees players. But he could also have been expressing what he assumed to be the general opinion as a former player.

Either way, he made his personal opinion crystal clear. Now others are following suit. For instance, Mike Mazzeo writing for the Daily News said this on Saturday:

In fact, Andujar’s dynamic ability to change games at the bottom of Murderer’s Row 2.0 along with fellow sparkplug Gleyber Torres should make him the No. 1 choice at third base — even when Brandon Drury returns, which could be as soon as early next week.

The Word “Plain” has been Hidden in the Sentence Below

Maybe the great Eric Boland at Newsday wasn’t quite as plain, but he was plain enough.

Andujar, 23, has seized the opportunity that came his way when Brandon Drury went on the disabled list with blurry vision and migraines. Andujar is playing well enough in the field and producing otherworldly numbers at the plate. Even with Drury making steady progress in his rehab, it seems highly unlikely that Andujar will be dislodged from third base anytime soon.

Everyone should read his stuff every day.

Giving You What You Want

Tyler Norton at Pinstripe Alley decided not to weigh in on the topic directly. Instead, he used Andujar’s numbers to reconsider his desire they trade Miguel Andujar for Gerrit Cole of the Houston Astros. Still, his analysis and a favorable comparison to Andrew McCutchen certainly sounds like an endorsement.

Andujar carried a .300/.313/.588 batting line, with three home runs, into Monday night’s game. That adds up to an impressive 137 wRC+. Entering the series in Houston, Andujar managed a 92.3 mph average exit velocity. He also generated, on average, a 13.3 degree launch angle…That left me with three batters from which I could pull a comp: Rafael Devers, Andrew McCutchen, and Hanley Ramirez. Based on all of the information gathered, Andujar’s batting approach best resembles the former National League MVP’s…Consider the fact that McCutchen also owns a career .289/.378/.484 triple-slash. If Andujar indeed has a comparable makeup, then he could be in store for a very productive career.

What interesting comparison inside some of the numbers. And the debate is now at least in part being answered by the team.

And the winner is…

Evaluate This

Just yesterday, manager Aaron Boone made an excuse not bring Brandon Drury back even though he seems to have little left to prove in Pennsylvania. Thanks again to Pete Caldera and nj.com.

Though the Yankees feel that Brandon Drury is “doing well and doing better’’ in his comeback from migraines and blurred vision, Drury will not join the club during this series at Houston. According to manager Aaron Boone, the Yankees will “continue to evaluate’’ Drury during his current minor league rehab stint at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The competition is moving beyond mere speculation. But no matter who is currently playing, the New York Yankees are the winners. If Miguel Andujar keeps hitting, he stays on the bag. If he falters, they have Brandon Drury as a great replacement.

Next: Judge has added his most dangerous offensive weapon

One more note before we part, though. I understand those who want Drury to start over Andujar. I disagree, but that’s still a reasonable position. The ones I cannot seem to wrap my head around are those suggesting the Yankees trade Andujar. And Gleyber Torres.

I wonder what Paul O’Neill would say about that.