The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The Yankees are currently insane for their strategy at leadoff, featuring Alex Verdugo regularly over the past few weeks. Despite the fact that Verdugo called his own bunt attempt “lazy” on Monday, he’s having his worst statistical season as a professional baseball player.
Verdugo’s Struggling Season
The 28-year-old lefty is in a contract year, hitting .236/.298/.367, including 10 homers and 50 RBIs, with a 14.9% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. Against horrible White Sox pitching on Tuesday, he managed a single hit over five at-bats but was 0-for-3 to open the game against Jonathan Cannon, a starter with a 4.02 ERA.
Need for Improvement at the Top
The Yankees desperately need more from their leadoff spot since Juan Soto hit three home runs and only collected four RBIs. Ideally, at least two of those would’ve been with men on base, but he hit two solo shots instead.
Why Verdugo at Leadoff?
The reason the Yankees likely have Verdugo leading off is because he ranks in the 92nd percentile in whiff rate and 86th percentile strikeout rate. They want a player who’s not going to strike out a lot and make contact, at the very least.
Verdugo’s Ineffectiveness
Unfortunately, he has an on-base percentage below 30%, which doesn’t support the Yankees in any positive way. When Jazz Chisholm hopefully returns from a UCL injury, he should be leading off for the Yankees, considering he has an OBP of 32% and was sitting at .361 over 14 games with the Yankees. Why he wasn’t featured as the team’s primary leadoff man is a question we should be asking ourselves.
Reevaluating the Leadoff Position
Batting first this season, Verdugo is hitting .250 but still hovers at a 30% OBP and .333 slugging. He’s been a nonfactor for the most part, and there’s a strong argument that the Yankees should promote Jasson Dominguez at some point over the next few weeks, replacing the veteran in left field.
The Urgency of Winning
If the Yankees are serious about winning a championship, they can’t play Verdugo simply because he has the most experience. It’s about winning baseball games, not making players feel good about lackluster production, especially since he’s likely on his way out in free agency anyway.
- Yankees ink depth outfielder to $5 million deal, avoiding arbitration
- Yankees expected to release Gold Glove outfielder, saving $5.7 million
- Yankees ‘considering’ 4 star players if they miss out on Juan Soto
Assessing Defensive Contributions
Of course, Verdugo’s defense has been solid but not eyebrow-raisingly efficient, so it is fair to claim that the Yankees should be testing different solutions at the top of the batting order. In any other offense, Verdugo would likely be hitting in the bottom half because of his inability to post competent on-base numbers.