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The time has finally come.
We are just a few days away from the Bronx Bombers’ opening series with the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. With a rollercoaster of an offseason, along with the big trades and free-agent signings, we can all finally say in unison: Brian Cashman better have been right.
In a free agency that saw Carlos Correa land in Minnesota, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to the Rangers, Trevor Story to Boston, and so on, many could argue this was not the time to gamble on the future. In all sports, we see “the next best thing” turn out to be nothing more than a flash in the pan and essentially throwing a curveball (pun wholly intended) into a franchise’s long-term plan. Cashman and Co. are very high up on their future, specifically shortstop Anthony Volpe and outfielder Jason Dominguez, and rightfully so.
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Currently, with AA Somerset, Volpe has shown incredibly high hope that he can be the shortstop Gleyber Torres couldn’t be last season. The former first-round pick had an exceptional 2021 season, slamming 27 home runs, accompanied by 86 RBIs, resulting in a .294 average and a 1.027OPS. Along with that, he would show his speed set and tally 33 stolen bases. His strikeouts may raise concern to some, seeing as he struck out 101 times in 2021, but he certainly can overcome that, and it doesn’t seem to be a significant worry from the Yankees front office either. Volpe could likely see some major league time this year. Still, with newly acquired Isiah Kiner-Falefa locking down the shortstop position for 2022, along with the jack of all positions DJ LeMahieu being available all around the infield at a moment’s notice, it may take something crucial for Volpe to get the MLB nod this season.
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Jasson Dominguez, better known as “The Martian,” only arrived in the Yankees system last year, as he had to wait to turn 18 to play professional baseball. When he got here, he stood out. Through 56 games in Single-A baseball, he would hit .252, and have five round-trippers and 19 RBIs. While this doesn’t seem like much, remember two things. It was 56 games, and he’s 18 years old. Safe to say, he’s only going to get better from here. Though he might not see (or definitely will not) see MLB time this season, he will most certainly be watched by Yankees fans throughout this year.
So, does this mean the likes of Seager, Semien, Correa, and Story should have been allowed to walk away without a serious offer from the Yankees? That will have to stand as to be determined for now. However, seeing the Red Sox and Blue Jays go out to make serious acquisitions, with the Jays trading for third baseman Matt Chapman and the Sox signing longtime Rockie Trevor Story, it seems that the Yankees are either very confident they can compete with what they have, or Brian Cashman has a tremendous ego problem.
With that said, let’s dive into our preview of the 2022 New York Yankees.
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OUTFIELDERS
Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Joey Gallo, Tim LoCastro, Miguel Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton (DH)
(Estevan Florial, Everson Pereria, Jeisson Rosario MiLB, on the 40-man roster)
When this outfield is clicking, they can be the scariest outfield in the MLB, without a doubt. Aaron Judge speaks for himself. Having a fantastic 2021 season, the big man would hit .287 and smash 39 home runs accompanied by 98 RBIs in 148 games. Should Judge stay healthy for the 2022 season, we are looking at another All-Star season while also falling into MVP conversations again.
Joey Gallo. What a rollercoaster that trade was last season. One of the best power bats in the entire MLB was a Yankee, and with the short porch of Yankee Stadium, AND he’s a lefty??? The Yankees were going to win it all!
Yeah, ‘bout that…
Joey Gallo severely underperformed upon his arrival in the Bronx. Hitting .160 through 58 games is not particularly ideal. At all. The power was there, mashing 13 long balls and driving in another 22 runs, it was clear that Gallo was starting to figure it out as the postseason neared. It’s hard to dictate what he could bring to the table for the Yanks this season, but with the hope that a fully (extended) offseason to clear the mind and adjust to life as a Yankee, there’s hope for Gallo to have a monster 2022 campaign.
Aaron Hicks, what a guy. A switch-hitting outfielder is making a ludicrous amount of money to play 30 games. There’s no real debate. When healthy, Hicks can hang with the best of them. Unfortunately, the keyword is when. Through the last three MLB seasons, including the shortened 2020 season, he’s played just 145 games. Considering baseball is a 162 game season, that’s less than ideal. His last whole campaign came in 2018, where he would hit 27 home runs and 73 RBIs for a .248 average. What makes Hicks a deadly bat for any MLB team is the switch-hitting factor. Although banking on Hicks getting injured is equal to banking that the grass is green, if he can stay healthy, Hicks could be a tremendous contributor to the Yankees’ success this season or their downfall.
Oh man, my favorite one to talk about. Giancarlo Stanton. For a while, it seemed like this would be another trade to bite Cashman in the backside. But oh, how that narrative has changed in a year. Playing in 139 games in 2021 (which, let me remind you, is the most games played since is 2018 campaign where he saw 158 games), Stanton would mash 35 long balls and 97 RBIs, one of his best seasons in pinstripes. People often forget he is not Giancarlo Stanton, the designated hitter when in reality, he is Giancarlo Stanton, former NL MVP, 4-time MLB All-Star, and multiple-time Gold Glove finalist. When he’s healthy, lethal is an understatement. If manager Aaron Boone is fortunate enough to get another 139+ game season, Stanton will be a big problem for other teams.
There’s not much to say about Tim LoCastro. He hit one home run through 9 games last season and had two RBIs. Though he won’t likely see everyday playing time without injuries in the outfield, there’s a likelihood that LoCastro can be a valuable plug-and-place player for Boone and the managerial staff.
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INFIELDERS
Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Josh Donaldson
(Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, MiLB, on the 40-man roster)
Anthony Rizzo was a touchy subject for most Yankees fans this winter. Some wanted him to return, and others wanted former first baseman Luke Voit to assume complete control of the position. And then there were the fans who wanted to empty the bank on now Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. When it was clear that Freeman was not interested in donning the pinstripes, Cashman would eventually turn to Rizzo, awarding him a two-year contract worth $32 million dollars, and send Luke Voit to the Padres for pitching prospect Justin Lange. Upon his August arrival to New York, Anthony Rizzo didn’t wait long to produce, having a monster opening series in Miami to set the tone for his arrival. He would slow down a bit but would produce when it mattered most to help secure a bid to the American League wild card to take on the Boston Red Sox. We all remember it, I won’t go into detail on it, but the fact was Rizzo, and Giancarlo Stanton were the only two who showed up to that game ready to play. Rizzo should have never been the second option and should have been extended the first second he was eligible to do so. And, for Cashman to say Rizzo “underperformed” to conclude 2021 was just asinine. That’s the ONLY personal opinion you’ll get out of me this article. Long story short, the Yankees are desperate for a left-handed bat and a shut-down first baseman. Riz fits all of the criteria and should have a fantastic season to carry off his 2021 success.
Do. Not. Put. Gleyber. Torres. Near. Shortstop. I wish it were as simple as that, but it’s not. Coming off 2018 and 19 seasons where every day was Gleyber Day, 2020 and 2021 proved otherwise. Torres struggled at shortstop. It was evident to everyone. Unfortunately, the experiment was allowed to carry on longer than it should have. Although Torres would conclude 2021 with 51 RBIs, it’s a pretty sizable letdown compared to the 90 we got used to in 2019. But the days of Torres at short are behind us, and he will be returning home to hold down second base. Assuming that not focusing on a new position will return us to Gleyber of the past, a lot is riding on this season for Torres, including his job security and even going as far as his time in pinstripes.
What can we say about DJ? He’s been one of the best Yankees for three years, and he’s got two silver sluggers and a batting title to back it up. And we haven’t even touched the fact that he can, and already has, touched nearly every infield position for the bombers. He can do it all. Though he only saw ten balls leave the yard last season, he still had 57 ribbies and drew 73 walks. Could it be a good thing? Maybe the Yankees aren’t overly dependent on production from one player anymore. Maybe DJ took a step back in his third year in pinstripes. Whatever the case may be, there should be little to no concern about DJ’s ability going into 2022.
I’ll mesh Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson into one preview. After all, they were traded together so that we could review them together. In a trade no one saw coming (or at least didn’t think they would ever see), Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela were packaged up with a pretty blue and white bow on top and sent to Minnesota, receiving IKF and Donaldson in the process. Though Donaldson is in his age 36 season, to say he is an aging veteran is……..well, correct. But an aging veteran who can slap 26 home runs and accompany them with 72 RBIs can undoubtedly be considered a productive aging veteran. For the last two seasons, a right-handed bat played in a stadium where left field was 339’ deep, coming to a field where left field is over 20 feet closer, Donaldson can hit the 30 home run mark with ease. Kiner-Falefa never played a game with the Twins, as he was dealt with Minnesota and immediately flipped to New York the next day. IKF went yard eight times on a lackluster Texas team, accompanied by 53 RBIs in 158 games. That’s not great, but it’s not terrible. There is a lot of upside to his game, seeing he can also be a plug-and-place player, as he has assumed duty behind the dish in the past. Though it’s nice to have players with this type of flexibility, don’t expect IKF to do any catching in 2022, especially after the acquisition of Jose Trevino, which leads us into…
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CATCHERS
Kyle Higashioka, Jose Trevino
Kyle Higashioka, better known as Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher, had a mediocre at best 2021. Hitting just .181, Higgy would hit ten long balls and 29 RBIs. If you look at the only 67 games played, it’s not terrible. However, assuming his workload could double this season, those numbers need to come up.
Jose Trevino, one of the most recent trade acquisitions from Cashman, actually did less. Though he was more productive reaching base with a .239 batting average in 89 games, he would go yard just five times and have 30 RBIs. So, if you mesh Higgy and Jose together, you get one full baseball player! But in all seriousness, the Yankee catching may be one of the more significant concerns going into 2022. Unless the Yankees have plans to get catching prospect Austin Wells involved, all Yankee fans should have their fingers crossed when it comes to the catching of 2022.
Be sure to join us tomorrow for the Yankees pitching preview!
