It has been reported that New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks is healthy and cleared to play in the ALCS against the Houston Astros. But, the team shouldn’t necessarily put him on the roster.
Rusty
Obviously, it will take a few games for Hicks to be able to shake off the rust. That’s completely fine during the regular season, but we’re far past that now.
The team needs guys that are ready to play their absolute best right now.
Cameron Maybin
Cameron Maybin has proven himself on the Yankee roster and is having a much better season compared to Hicks. He has a higher WAR, and has a .285 average with 32 RBIs. Hicks, is batting .235 with 36 RBIs. Maybin has 19 more at-bats than Hicks this season.
The Yankees are all on the same page right now, and there is no reason to mess that up. Maybin has quickly emerged as a leader on and off the field, and has developed a crucial role to the team.
In my honest opinion, I believe that Hicks is very overrated. He can’t bat above .240 and Brian Cashman spent too much money on him. He has a lot of power and a good glove, but his offensive skills lack otherwise.
If anything, the Yankees could put Hicks on the roster in a bench spot and take the place of Tyler Wade. They could use Hicks for defense, pinch-running, and maybe a start or two dependent on the matchup.
But, I think that the Yankees would be better off keeping Aaron Hicks off of the ALCS roster.