New York Yankees Designated Hitters
When the Yankees acquired Edwin Encarnacion (2.5 fWAR) in a trade for Juan Then, the team figured they found their man. Giancarlo Stanton had missed a large chunk of the season and the team was in need of a DH.
For a time, Encarnacion won over the hearts of the team and the fans. However, Encarnacion also fell victim to injury while in pinstripes, when he fractured his wrist in early August, causing him to miss over a month of baseball.
When healthy, though, Encarnacion provided the Yankees with the type of power the DH position had been missing. In fact, in just 44 games, Encarnacion hit 13 HR while slugging .531.
Encarnacion’s current deal includes a club option, which includes a $5M buyout. Given the depth of the franchise, you’d think the team would exercise that option.
FINAL LETTER GRADE FOR 2019: B
Through no fault of his own, Giancarlo Stanton (0.4 fWAR) has earned the ire of Yankees fans. Some of that has to do with the fact that he strikes out a lot. It also has to do with the unprecedented number of games he has had to miss because of injuries.
During the 2019 MLB season, Stanton only managed to play in 18 G. While he showed improved patience and played quite well in those games, the overwhelming feeling around New York was that the slugger was a bust.
The numbers, on the other hand, say otherwise. In the games he did play, Stanton slashed .288 | .403 | .492.
FINAL LETTER GRADE FOR 2019: B