New York Yankees position battle for first base

For some, it’s a given who plays first for the New York Yankees in 2020. In reality, however, the position is up for grabs.

When the New York Yankees opted to designate Greg Bird for assignment, experts and analysts assumed that first base was Luke Voit‘s to lose. Upon learning that Miguel Andujar was to be tested at multiple positions, however, some began to wonder what the 24-year-old could do at first.

Then, you’re reminded of how Mike Ford, the 26-year-old from New Jersey, did last season, and you realize that who plays first for New York isn’t really a given at all.

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In actuality, last season Voit didn’t do much to convince the team and its fans that he should be the everyday first baseman. For one, he struggled to stay healthy, battling injuries to his back and core muscles. What’s more, among MLB batters with a minimum 500 PA, Voit ranked in the top 50 in strikeouts with 142 (28% of PA). That’s out of 137 batters.

Then you have the aforementioned Mike Ford, who stepped in to replace Voit last season and did nothing but impress. In 163 PA, Ford posted a .909 OPS. He hit 12 HR and 25 RBI in just 50 big-league games. What’s more, he only struck out 28 times (17% of PA).

Finally, you look at the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in Andujar, who seems to have been replaced at third and is looking for a new position to call home.

Andujar doesn’t feature the patience at the plate that Voit and Ford have, but his bat is just as, if not more, special than theirs. In fact, in 2018 he swatted 27 HR and 92 RBI, while also batting .297. What’s more, he presented as a doubles machine by hitting 47 two-baggers, good for 14th among all MLB hitters.

The question will come down to defense, something all three of these players struggle with.

In the end, the likely scenario for the New York Yankees will be that Luke Voit remains at first while Miguel Andujar plays something of a super-utility role. Unfortunately for Mike Ford, he’ll likely start the season in the minors.