Ever since Brett Gardner last played a game in left field for the Yankees, and even before that, the position has been a black hole of production.
That makes Alex Verdugo’s start to the season even more impactful for the Yankees.
From the last time Gardner played left field until the end of the 2023 season, the Yankees have had 16 different players start in left field.
Verdugo started the Yankees’ 38th game against the Astros on Wednesday night, his 35th game of the season.
He only missed three games last week when he was placed on the paternity list due to the birth of his child.
Before and after that, he has consistently made his impact felt in left field, the batter’s box and the clubhouse.
“He’s just a complete player,” Aaron Judge said recently. “He’s the guy we were looking for, a left-handed left fielder who plays every day. He shows up every day ready to play, and he wants to play every day.
“I said to him the other day in the outfield, he’s one of the best left fielders I’ve played with outside of Brett Gardner. He communicates, just with how he reads. We’ve got a special group of outfielders here. We’re lucky to have him. I’ve been pushing to get him here for quite some time, and what he’s doing. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
Verdugo’s latest performance came in Tuesday’s win over the Astros, where he went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs and a diving catch. He entered Wednesday with a .275 batting average and .812 OPS, and his left-handed bat and batting skills have put him in the clean-up position since manager Aaron Boone moved him there late last month. It was a strong fit.
For Boone, locking Verdugo in left field on a daily basis was a luxury, especially considering the revolving door the Yankees have gone through in recent years.
Gardner last played a game in left field since 2021, and the Yankees who started there were: Joey Gallo (51 games), Giancarlo Stanton (7 games), and Aaron Hicks (61 games). ), Tim Locastro (3 games), Miguel Anjuar (18 games)), Marwin Gonzalez (9), Matt Carpenter (3), Andrew Benintendi (31), Oswaldo Cabrera (42), Franchy Cordero (4), Jake Bowers (20), Isaiah Kiner-Falefa (28), Greg Allen (3)), Willie Calhoun (3), Billy McKinney (27), Everson Pereira (26).
In the 2022-2023 season, the Yankees’ left fielder earned an fWAR of 2.9, ranking him 22nd in the majors. Through 34 games this season, Verdugo posted a 1.1 fWAR.
“He was everything I wanted him to be, just his energy and edge every day, his ability to blend into the room and his play on both sides of the ball,” said Verdugo, who echoed Judge. Boone said. for several years until the Yankees acquired him in December. “He was great.”
And Verdugo was welcomed not only on offense. It will also be interesting to see how much field he covers in left field.
Entering Wednesday, Verdugo was tied for third among Major League-eligible left fielders with three outs above average (OAA), according to Baseball Savant. He recorded four defensive runs allowed (DRS), tied for second among left fielders.
From 2021 to 2023 — 2020 was the last year Gardner started the majority of games in left field — the Yankees ranked 24th in left field in OAA of minus-22 and 25th in DRS of minus-9. Ta.
Verdugo’s stay in the Bronx may be limited to this season — he’ll be a free agent next offseason — but they immediately benefited from his addition. Through it all, he has always said how much he loves his team and clubhouse.
“I love it, I love it,” Verdugo said. “It’s true. Great organization, great team, great staff. I honestly couldn’t be happier here.”
