Juan Soto, the Yankees’ biggest acquisition of the offseason, played well during the Bombers’ 10-2 start to the season, batting .348 with a .978 OPS, two home runs, and 11 RBIs.
Meanwhile, Alex Verdugo, who was also acquired with the hope of improving his offensive ability, has yet to find similar success at the plate.
But manager Aaron Boone believes Verdugo’s consistency is just around the corner, and his instincts appeared to be on track Tuesday night.
In the bottom of the second inning, Verdugo hit his first home run as a Yankee in the Bronx, giving the Bombers the lead with a 3-2 victory over the Marlins.
He hit a solo bomb into the right-field seats, drawing much jeers from his teammates, a trend he started in Arizona after hitting his first home run with the Yankees.
“It was big to be able to score that early and take the lead and settle the game down a little bit.
“I love it. I love it so much,” he added about the celebration. “Every time I hear my teammates bark…it’s so much fun. They’re running with it and we love it.”
Last year, in his first 11 games with the Red Sox, he had 14 hits for 44 at bats, a .318 batting average, one home run, five RBIs, and an .816 OPS. He hit .211 with a .611 OPS in his first 38 at-bats this season.
“It’s just a matter of time,” Boone said before the game about Verdugo’s improvement. “He’s a very good hitter from hitter to ball, and I think he’ll be in shape to get a few hits every day for several weeks.”
Verdugo showed glimpses of his potential early in the season, hitting a sacrifice fly against the Astros on opening day to give Judge the game-winning run, and contributing to the Yankees’ victory with a two-run homer in the 10th inning against the Diamondbacks. showed. Won 6-5 in the 11th inning.
His best offensive effort came Monday, when the Yankees went 3-for-3, including a three-run home run by Anthony Volpe in the seventh inning and a double into the left-field seats in the fourth inning as the Yankees trailed for six runs. It was at night. 0 wins.
After Tuesday’s home run, he said things are starting to fall into place.
“Even through the first 10 days, whatever it was, there were some good at-bats where I felt like my swing was clicking. I just hit the ball wrong,” Verdugo said. . “I’ve always been a contact person, and if things don’t go well, the contact becomes weak, so it can be a little difficult.” I think the biggest thing was trusting the process and believing that I could make the ball fly. . Now I’m starting to see some results and my swing is getting a lot better.”
