On the final day of the regular season, Alex Verdugo said he wasn't sure what his role would be heading into the playoffs.
But the much-maligned Yankees left fielder was more confident about the postseason offering a possible reset.
“In the playoffs, every pitch, every inning, every at-bat is important,'' said Verdugo, who hit a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping the Yankees finish the regular season with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses. said Sunday. .
“It no longer matters what you did in your time.” [regular] The seasons are really different. What matters is what you do when you go out and how much control you have. ”
However, it remains to be seen how much of a chance Verdugo will have to bounce back in October.
One of the Yankees' biggest questions heading into the ALDS is how to handle left field, with the debate between Verdugo's more reliable glove and Jason Dominguez's more impactful offensive skills. be.
Verdugo is coming off the worst offensive season of his career with a .233 batting average and .647 OPS in 149 games, but he has proven to be reliable defensively as a left fielder.
He also has playoff experience, hitting .310 with an .835 OPS in 11 ALCS games with Boston in 2021.
A natural center fielder who was called up on September 9th, Dominguez sometimes looked shaky as a left fielder, but despite hitting only .179 with a .617 OPS in 18 games, and showed a much higher ceiling with his legs.
Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday of Dominguez's defense that he was “encouraged by the games he played the last few days.” “especially [Saturday]I thought he played really well in difficult conditions with light rain and wind. I thought he moved well there and made difficult plays look easy. That's encouraging.
“We're going to continue working out there, but he's certainly continuing to put himself in the mix.”
Boone said defense will be a big factor in the left field decision, but it's notable that he started Dominguez in left field in each of the final five games of the season.
It also left the door slightly open for the Yankees to move Juan Soto back to left and Aaron Judge to right, allowing Dominguez to play center. However, it would be surprising to try out that arrangement in Yankee Stadium, which has a wide left field.
A venue like Minute Maid Park could work if the Astros make it to the ALCS, but the Yankees have to get there first.
