For several reasons that range from injuries to ineffectiveness, the New York Yankees‘ most consistent offensive weapon this season has been Luke Voit. The slugging first baseman is currently leading the major leagues in home runs with 18 in just 44 games. For those wondering, that equals a 66-homer pace in a 162-game season.
Voit contributions have been nothing short of amazing. He is also fourth in the whole major leagues in RBI with 42, second in isolated power (ISO) with .354, and sixth in slugging percentage with .634.
Since Voit is a career .274/.366/.527 hitter, it is fair to wonder what has he done to increase his power output so much. Not that the New York Yankees are complaining.
The Yankees’ most consistent slugger
The New York Yankees have benefited from a less patient Luke Voit. Last season, he had an elite 13.9 BB%, but this year, it is down significantly, to 7.7 BB%. Since his strikeout rate has dipped as well (from 27.8 to 23.2 percent) it is fair to conclude that he has decided to swing more (career-high 51.9 swing %) and he has improved his contact stats (13.1 SwStrk %, down from 15.7 in 2019 and 14.9 in his career; with a career-high 74.9 contact percentage.)
Sometimes, extreme patience is detrimental to a hitter. He will work some walks, but will also strike out a lot looking. And he will let excellent pitches to hit go by.
The current approach seems to be working wonders for Voit. He has actually been a tad unlucky if we consider his .396 wOBA is lower than his expected .415 wOBA. This means that his batted ball quality remains elite and his season line is not a product of good fortune.
The Yankees are thrilled that Voit is showing the health, consistency and hunger to keep improving and showing it on the field. He has been a big reason behind the recent turnaround.