New York Yankees: Can Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu break Coors curse?
By Kyle Cardoza
The New York Yankees conveniently added Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu, who thrived at Coors Field. But will they be able to overcome the different conditions at Yankee Stadium?
Baseball analysts and fans look at hitting stats at Coors Field with an asterisk, knowing the ballpark’s parameters and elevation assist essentially every hitter. For the newest New York Yankees hitters, it will be a small obstacle to overcome.
Both Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu spent the majority of their careers in Denver, posting appealing numbers at home. Yet their numbers at the plate aren’t as enticing on the road.
Primarily, Coors Field propels hitters to a new level. It ranks first or second among all categories – hits, runs, home runs, doubles and triples – but one when assessing MLB park factors.
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And the New York newcomers enjoyed the cold air and light breeze while they could. Tulowitzki was a five-time All-Star for the Rockies, obtaining two Silver Slugger awards in that span. LeMahieu notched two All-Star bids and claimed a batting title in the National League.
Tulowitzki boasted a load of power for the Rockies, as nearly 40 percent of his hits were for extra bases. He sported a career .949 OPS in Colorado. Taking that into account, the shortstop’s career stats at home are impressive – a .310/.382/.536 slash line.
However, the former All-Star has more ordinary results on the road, with a .269/.338/.453 slash. His numbers at ballparks in the National League West all look the same with an OPS near .800, with the exception being Dodger Stadium, where he posted a .230 average and .700 OPS.
Nevertheless, the 34-year-old thrived at other hitter-friendly ballparks. He crushed pitchers at Great American Ballpark and Citizens Bank Park. His sample at Yankee Stadium is small, but it is somewhat promising, as he’s hitting better than .300.
LeMahieu might not have as difficult a time adjusting to the park parameters. In fact, he may even achieve a slight advantage, considering he is a right handed hitter.
But the second baseman’s splits are still stark. LeMahieu is not known for his power, yet he’s garnered several more doubles at Coors Field than elsewhere. His OPS sits close to .850 at home, while it is a mediocre .673 on the road.
Yankee Stadium won’t affect whether the infielder makes contact or not, but his numbers might not be as striking than they were at Coors Field. The left-hander still seems to be a large contributor for the Yankees.
When LeMahieu isn’t smacking line drives into the gaps, he’s typically hitting the ball on the ground. However, the former Colorado hitter upped his fly-ball percentage by nearly 10 percent compared to 2017, per FanGraphs.
Both players should be able to adjust to the conditions in New York. And with the intimidating sluggers in the heart of the order, pitchers will seemingly have to pitch at the two guys, rather than around them.
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New York Yankees fans shouldn’t be surprised if both Tulowitzki and LeMahieu fail to post the numbers seen while they were with the Rockies. Yet, expectations shouldn’t be lofty, and they have potential to be better producers than prior players at the bottom of the order.