After an up-and-down 2019 season with injuries, Luke Voit is ready to breakout in 2020 and return to his form from the end of 2018.
The New York Yankees got Voit around the 2018 trade-deadline in a deal that sent Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos to the Cardinals. Immediately after the trade, the team assigned Voit to AAA before finally getting called up. Once he came up, he made an immediate impact.
In 39 games, he hit .333 14 home runs and 33 RBIs. His OBP was .405 and had an astounding 1.095 OPS. He was arguably one of the best hitters in baseball at the end of 2018.
Come 2019, Voit was still making an impact, but it wasn’t quite as great. He was beginning to heat up before an abdominal injury put him on the IL. When he returned, he wasn’t the same and didn’t see any postseason action. On the season, he hit .263 with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs.
Now in 2020, the first base role is his to lose. The infield is not nearly as crowded with Didi Gregorius leaving for the Phillies. Gleyber Torres will now be the everyday shortstop, while DJ LeMahieu will be the full-time second baseman. Mike Ford will, however, be waiting behind Voit if he struggles. Ford definitely showed some promise with his lefty power in limited 2019 at-bats.
It would be so huge if Voit could get back to his late 2018 form. The Yankees are a power-hitting team, and Voit’s offensive production would be so big in the middle of the lineup. It would help fill a hole at first base that’s been there since the retirement of Mark Teixeira if he can sustain his stats for an entire season. He would be a no-doubt MVP caliber player.