With the New York Yankees finishing the final exhibition game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday evening, we can all look forward to opening day on July 23. The Washington Nationals stand between the Yankees and their first win of the revised regular season, but the team is well prepared to take on the former World Series champs.
The Yankees’ sluggers have been hitting well, with Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez seeing the ball adequately and providing an offensive spark because of it.
Over the last two exhibition games, Judge has hit three homers, with Sanchez also taking one deep and Luke Voit doing the same. Don’t forget about Giancarlo Stanton, who makes up for high strike-out rates with elevated home run totals.
Let’s take a look at the projected lineup for the New York Yankees heading into Thursday’s opening game:
1. D.J. LeMahieu, 2B
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Gleyber Torres, SS
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Aaron Hicks, CF
6. Gary Sanchez, C
7. Luke Voit, 1B
8. Gio Urshela, 3B
9. Brett Gardner, LF
There might not be a better lead-off hitter in the league at the moment than DJ LeMahieu. In LeMahieu‘s first season with the Yankees in 2019, he won the Silver Slugger award hitting .327 with 26 homers and 102 RBIs. He ranked fourth in MVP voting and earned an All-Star appearance for his incredible performance. He was also stellar defensively, filling in at multiple infield positions to supplement injuries.
Next up, the Yankees have Aaron judge, who played in only 102 games last year and has struggled to return from a stress fracture in a rib this off-season. However, he seems to be healthy and back to normal, showing off his home run mentality these past few days.
As if facing off against LeMahieu and Judge wasn’t enough, Gleyber Torres will be in the third spot. Torres continued his breakout performance in 2019, hitting .278 with 38 homers and 90 RBIs. Nobody anticipated his incredible power at the plate, but he has become a staple in the Yankee lineup and is expected to continue dominating in 2020.
When the Yankees consumed Giancarlo Stanton’s contract in a trade with the Miami Marlins, they expected him to be one of the more consistently healthy players. He struggled to remain in the lineup last season, but he looks healthy and is regaining his form slowly but surely. He will hit in the cleanup spot and give the top three hitters run support.
Behind Stanton, the Bombers Aaron Hicks and Gary Sanchez. Hicks represents a switch hitter who adds a bit of diversity to the order when the only other left-handed batter is Brett Gardner. Hicks is returning from Tommy John surgery but has received plenty of at-bats and will be slotted into the fifth spot most likely.
Sanchez, who earned an All-Star appearance for his first-half performance in 2019, is expected to provide offensive production with the long ball. He logged a career-high 34 last season, but only hit .232. He looks a bit slimmer and has utilized different stances behind the plate. Hopefully, this will mitigate injuries to a degree.
Getting through the first six batters is already difficult, but the Yankees don’t have mercy for their opponents. In the seven spot is Luke Voit, who broke out in 2019 with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs, both career highs. He showed the Yankees why he can be their starting first baseman and every-day hitter. He fits perfectly in their homer-centric mold.
Behind Voit are Gio Urshela and Brett Gardner, two consistent players who provide value at the bottom of the order. Urshela enjoyed a career-high 21 homers and 74 RBIs last season with a .355 on-base percentage. Urshela took over at the hot corner when Miguel Andujar went down with a torn labrum. The moment he started his first game, he refused to let his opportunity go. He has since locked down the position for the foreseeable future.
In left field and batting, 9th is Gardner, who had a breakout year in his 12th season in pinstripes. His 28 homers and 74 RBIs were career-highs, mainly due to the institution of juiced baseballs. If Gardner can replicate his performance in 2020, the Yankees will have I theoretically unstoppable lineup.