Joey Gallo had been an abject disappointment since being acquired by the New York Yankees. He was expected to be one of the missing pieces in the lineup, a left handed power hitter who could change the complexion of a game with one swing of a bat. While he has hit the occasional homer, Gallo had spent far more of his plate appearances swinging and missing, his constantly high strikeout rate becoming ever more bloated.
But that was par for the course with Gallo. A Three True Outcome player, Gallo is also prone to hot and cold streaks. He just so happened to begin a cold streak almost immediately upon joining the Yankees as he needed to adjust to the new environment and being in the midst of a playoff push.
Joey Gallo finally heating up for New York Yankees
But now Gallo is starting to heat up. His powerful bat is producing results, as he has belted six homers in his last eight games, including a two homer game on Friday night. As the Yankees are desperately trying to hold on to a playoff berth, Gallo is starting to be the player they had hoped for.
It is a welcome change from what they had seen. Gallo had been a major disappointment for the Yankees prior to this recent hot stretch, producing a .133/.302/.320 batting line with just six homers in his first 37 games as a member of the Yankees, striking out 64 times. He simply was not the impact bat they needed.
But that may be changing. With Gallo’s tendency to be a streaky hitter, this recent surge gives plenty of reason to hope that he may be able to make a positive contribution over the final few weeks. If so, he could be what they needed after all.
Joey Gallo has been a major disappointment for the New York Yankees. Now that he is starting to heat up, that could change in the coming weeks.