The New York Yankees are 6-1 as of Thursday, leading the tough AL East division ahead of some excellent squads. They have played admirably to this point and have won series against the Houston Astros (a four-game sweep!) and the reigning NL champs, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
To get to where they currently are, they have used some impressive hot streaks by specific players. Caleb Ferguson and Nick Burdi have been amazing in the bullpen, and the same can be said about Marcus Stroman and Luis Gil in the rotation. Oswaldo Cabrera has also turned some heads.
These three players, however, have been the hottest to open the year.
These three Yankees have carried the team in the opening stages
Juan Soto
If the Yankees swept the series against the Astros, it was mainly because Juan Soto is a clutch monster who can impact a game in several ways. His outfield assist helped preserve the Yanks’ lead on Opening Day, and he became the first player in the expansion era to have a go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning or later in three of his first four games with a new team, per Sarah Langs.
Soto is hitting a cool .345/.441/.483 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and a .924 OPS. Oh, and he also has five walks against four strikeouts. He is the real deal, and with him in the lineup, New York’s offense is looking fantastic.
Anthony Volpe
Young shortstop Anthony Volpe worked hard in the offseason to optimize his bat path. It’s fair to say his discipline and determination are already paying off since he has been the hottest hitter on the Yankees’ lineup to open the new campaign.
The former first-round pick is slashing .409/.500/.682 with three doubles, a home run, and four walks in the early going. He is also sporting a rock-solid 1.182 OPS, and that’s with a nasty case of an upset stomach after the Mexico trip. The early signs of a breakout are there, and it would really take the offense to another level if it happens.
- Yankees are looking forward to upcoming series against defending AL East champion Baltimore Orioles
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Ian Hamilton
The Yankees’ relief corps have been fantastic in the early going. They have Ian Hamilton to thank for that, in large part: the right-hander has a cool, sparkling 0.00 ERA in 5.2 innings, with an even better 0/7 BB/K ratio.
The only damage he has conceded to this point is a single hit. Additionally, he had a crucial relief on Wednesday against the D-Backs to keep the Yanks in the game: he pitched 2.2 scoreless frames with no walks and four punchouts.
Hamilton is showing that his fantastic 2023 was no fluke and has blossomed into the Yankees’ most trusted reliever.