Taking a look at the Yankees projected lineup for the 2020 season

With the offseason acquisitions slowly coming to a halt, the Yankees are now in a position to begin formulating their plans for the 2020 season. Of course, GM Brian Cashman could surprise us all as he’s done in the past with back-end signings and trades, but the inking of Gerrit Cole on a nine-year, $324 deal tops the list of investments.

The Yankees aren’t in dire need of reinforcement across the board, though, they have a great starting pitching rotation, a solid bullpen, strong outfield, and strong infield. Unless Cashman is keen on trading for a big-name player like Francisco Lindor, I don’t imagine the projected lineup will change much in the coming months.

Taking a look at the Yankees projected lineup:

Leadoff – DJ LeMahieu 

Not only did LeMahieu have a stellar offensive season, logging a .327 BA with 26 homers and 102 RBIs over 145 games, but he was equally as good on defense. He was stellar leading off for the Yankees last year, and he will remain in that spot moving forward.

Second – Aaron Judge

Slotting Judge right behind LeMahieu makes perfect sense, as the tandem was lucrative in 2019, racking up 52 total homers. They have developed unique chemistry hitting side by side, and this won’t change next season.

Third – Gleyber Torres

Torres has rightfully earned the third slot in the batting order, simply due to his offensive efficiency. His .278 BA and 37 homers last year makes him a severe threat at the top of the order. The Yankees will have an intimidating first three, and it will pay dividends.

Fourth – Giancarlo Stanton

You guessed it, Stanton will bat cleanup, as usual. If you cancel out his injury-plagued 2019 season, he hit 97 homers from 2017-2018. There’s no doubt he should feature in the four spot, creating a little more havoc for opposing pitchers.

Fifth – Gary Sanchez

MORE POWER! Sanchez is pretty much good for one thing, hitting homers. His 34 homers last season was a career-high, and he will be looking to build upon that benchmark.

Sixth – Luke Voit

Did somebody say, “power?” The Yankees are certainly focusing on the long ball with this lineup, and it doesn’t get any weaker with Voit, a player who can bench press 225LB with one arm.

Seventh – Miguel Andujar 

In the DH spot will live Miguel Andujar, who has lost the third base position to Gio Urshela, due to a lack of defensive efficiency. However, Andujar is a stellar hitter and will offer extreme value toward the bottom of the lineup. Not too long ago, he smashed 27 homers and 47 doubles with a .297 BA.

Eighth – Brett Gardner

The ever-green lefty, Brett Garder, will slot in at eighth while Aaron Hicks recovers from Tommy John surgery. Gardner had a career-best in home runs last season, logging 28. He will pray that those juiced baseballs remain a thing in 2020.

Ninth – Gio Urshela

Hopefully, Urshela isn’t a one-year wonder for the Yankees, as he stole the third base position from Andujar after being a reserve player for the first two years of his career. His stellar glove balances out his production at the plate, but last season took him to an entirely different level. His .314 BA and 21 homers earned him serious praise from manager Aaron Boone.