The New York Yankees began spring training 2.0 on Saturday, July 4. With a condensed 2020, regular season comes injury concerns and much more in an expected tumultuous campaign.
The Yankees have dealt with injuries the past two years with their star players, specifically Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Stanton is expected to return to the lineup as a designated hitter for Opening Day, and he is preparing to take outfield reps during summer camp.
Judge, on the other hand, faced off against live pitching with Gerrit Cole on the mound, giving him some reps against one of the best arms in baseball.
Judge is expected to practice regularly over the next few weeks, and manager Aaron Boone is optimistic he will return for the start of the regular season in right field.
The projected batting order for the Yankees is impressive, similar to what it looks like last year when every player was healthy and in full form. However, it was rare that the Yankees didn’t have supplemental players slide in somewhere in the order. The Bombers utilize 155 different batting orders in 2019.
Here is a look at the Yankees 2020 projected batting order:
1. D.J. LeMahieu, 2B
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Gleyber Torres, SS
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Luke Voit, 1B
6. Aaron Hicks, CF
7. Gary Sanchez, C
8. Gio Urshela, 3B
9. Brett Gardner, LF
Questions remain plentiful in the outfield, with Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and Judge all question marks moving forward. Stanton’s bodybuilder physique could play a part in his frequent injuries, and Judge is still a while away from returning to live action on the field.
Nonetheless, the Yankees are making significant progress, and even without one or two of their star sluggers, they have a fantastic lineup. Relying on DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela, and more, the Yankees should feel confident in the players they do have available and ready to start the season.
It is also important to mention their reserve options have a great 2019 campaigns. Mike Tauchman, Clint Frazier, Mike Ford, and others, all showed they can supplement injuries if need be. I do estimate that Frazier and Tauchman will receive starting reps early on in the campaign to mitigate concern over injuries and fatigue.
The hot summer weeks are right around the bend, and the Yankees need to be prepared to keep their players healthy and in shape.