Predicting the 2020 New York Yankees Lineup
Francisco Lindor, SS
Given how desperately the Yankees are for a left-handed bat, if the team chooses not to re-sign Didi Gregorius, they will aggressively pursue another lefty or switch-hitting shortstop.
Now, since the market for shortstops is sparse, Didi could possibly get more than what the Yanks are willing to give him and walk. This opens up the possibility for a dream come true for Yankees fans, trading for Francisco Lindor.k
While the chances of this happening are pretty slim, dreaming never killed anyone. Though I predicted in a previous piece that the Yanks would re-sign Gregorius, I am now here to tell you that the tides have shifted and the Bronx Bombers will indeed trade for Mr. Smile, the leadoff hitter.
Aaron Judge, OF
Many folks have a problem with Aaron Judge, a prominent power hitter hitting so high in the lineup. Traditionally, a guy of Judge’s stature would hit third or clean-up. Not in New York, and I fully agree with the move.
Despite all the strikeouts, Judge is an on-base machine. Therefore, the higher he hits in the lineup, the more opportunities this stacked lineup has to score runs. So, in 2020, Judge will remain the team’s number two hitter.
DJ LeMahieu, 1B
Though the New York Yankees super-utility infielder is not an AL MVP finalist this year, there is no doubt that he was by far the best player on the team. Playing multiple positions at an elite level, LeMahieu still managed to have one of his best offensive seasons in 2019.
What’s more, while Greg Bird couldn’t healthy and Luke Voit took a step back this season, DJ LeMahieu took over first base and mastered the position in a matter of days. In 2020, with the addition of Lindor and Gleyber Torres remaining at second, LeMahieu will be the team’s full-time first baseman.