The Yankees have solutions at a number of key spots, but one position they’ve been playing Russian Roulette with is the lead-off job. Anthony Volpe won the job early in the season but started to regress several months ago, leading to a demotion and eventually hitting the bottom half of the order.
Inconsistent Solutions at the Top of the Yankees’ Batting Order
In his place, the Yankees have dabbled with Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres, neither of whom have been efficient, to say the least. In fact, many would argue that the Yankees have been utilizing a losing strategy at the position and don’t have many supplements to consider. They could shift to Jazz Chisholm, who has a ton of experience leading off and may be able to offer a bit more production ahead of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.
Chisholm’s Potential as Lead-off
Chisholm has been mainly batting fifth for the Yankees since being acquired at the trade deadline but has 265 plate appearances at lead-off this year, slashing .244/.317/.408. His numbers with the Bombers have been far better, so it is possible he would perform at a higher level if the Yankees were to shift him again.
Dominguez as a Possible Solution
However, general manager Brian Cashman recently stated that there’s no avenue for Jasson Dominguez to be promoted, but one might argue that Verdugo has been more of a net negative for the Yankees this season. He is putting together his worst professional season, batting .237/.299/.369, including 10 homers, 50 RBIs, and an 89 wRC+. His numbers are at career lows, and while his defense is solid, the Yankees may have a better option in Dominguez, who is a switch hitter and has far more power.
Dominguez’s Slow Start in Triple-A
Jasson is coming off an oblique injury and has had a slow start in Triple-A over 21 games. He’s hitting .253/.303/.386, but the Yankees may want to promote him over the next few weeks if he starts to heat up. His abilities offensively are exciting, and with Verdugo’s latest struggles, there could be a lane for replacement.
The Argument for Chisholm
Because of Dominguez’s qualities, opposing teams will have to attack him early, allowing him to make damage contact. Of course, Dominguez would be thrown into the fire, and there’s no guarantee that he will succeed immediately.
The better option would be to promote Jazz to the top of the order, especially since he’s been fantastic with the Yankees since the move. Over 14 games, he hosts a .316 batting average, a .361 OBP, and a .702 slugging rate. He’s added seven homers with 11 RBIs and five stolen bases. Everything he’s done has been exciting and energetic, and the Yankees have no reason not to give him a try ahead of their two best hitters. Just getting on base would give them an opportunity to score, having already set a record 27 stolen bases this year.
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A Look at Torres’ Performance
At some point, the Yankees cannot rely on Verdugo and Torres to get the job done. Torres is hitting .216 with a .268 OBP batting lead-off this year, horrible numbers that certainly don’t represent a player who has earned the right to be a primary lead-off option.