The New York Yankees’ awful 2023 season will come to an end this weekend with the series against the Kansas City Royals. From next week or probably after a couple of weeks, the organization will sit down to dissect the mess. The front office, led by owner Hal Steinbrenner, is expected to remain actively involved in almost every proceeding.
Moreover, captain Aaron Judge will likely play a big role in the decision-making. One potential change Judge has vocalized is the need for small ball play hitters in the lineup. While he believes the Yankees have made some progress in that regard, there still is a lot to improve. Having said that, if the Yanks moved ahead with this approach, they would be required to overhaul the entire hitting lineup.
Yankees Must Overhaul Hitting Order To Optimize Small Ball Approach!
The New York Yankees, led by lead slugger Aaron Judge, want to deviate from the home run strategy to focus more on small ball play in 2024. In a recent interview, the captain said that the team has made this shift recently and intends to move forward in the same direction. They want more players who could play small ball and produce hits with runners in scoring position. Having said that, if Judge wants to optimize this said approach, the franchise is going to have to revamp the entire hitting order. Because right now, the current set of players is more focused on hitting the ball deep. So what are the options?
Firstly, Anthony Volpe is currently sitting with 60 RBIs in his rookie season, followed by Gleyber Torres with 66 RBIs in total. Apart from these two, the youth could also come to the rescue. Jasson Dominguez, who will likely return mid-season in 2024, is a great all-rounder. He can hit the ball deep while driving singles as and when the situation demands. Austin Wells is also a good option. Additionally, the Yankees can also sort for outside help during upcoming free agency. Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, and Jeimer Candelario are some great options that are likely to hit the market by the end of the year. The Yanks can also trade by offloading multiple Rule-5 eligible prospects. Overall, one can expect a completely different batting lineup from the Bombers next season.
Aaron Judge Wants Balance In The Hitting Order!
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge recently opened up on the need to have the right balance in the hitting order. While taking to NJ Media, Judge said that he wants the team to have a combination of sluggers who could hit deep while having hitters who could play small ball with runners in scoring position.
Having said that, Aaron Judge urged the hitters to prioritize health first. All the permutations and combinations would prove meaningless if the players signed to do the job cannot turn up in full health. He wants to have guys who are willing and committed at the same time to play 162 games throughout the season. Fitness and health will remain the key to the Yankees’ success next year and beyond.