The New York Yankees are doing their due diligence in the outfield market at the trade deadline, but they may only have one issue with the resurgence of Aaron Hicks over the past month and a half.
During the month of May, Hicks hit just .127 with a 25% on-base rate, recording nine hits over 71 at-bats. Things got a bit better in June, hitting .247 with a 36% on-base rate, recording 19 hits and two homers over 77 at-bats. However, July has been phenomenal for the 32-year-old outfielder. This month, he’s hitting .385 with 10 hits and three homers over 26 at-bats.
After starting the 2022 campaign on a cold streak, Hicks has finally built his confidence, and he’s making a positive impact offensively. He currently hosts a 110 wRC+ plus, indicating he’s 10% better than the average MLB player. On the season, he’s elevated his average to .238 with a 35.7% on base rate and .359 slugging. He’s only hit six homers and 26 RBIs, but he’s also stolen nine bases and tallied 53 total hits.
As a switch hitter in Yankee stadium, Hicks is extremely valuable when playing at the top of his game. However, his cold streaks are rough to experience. It seems as if he’s turned a corner, though, whereas Gallo continues to suffer through poor offensive performances.
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The Yankees have no choice but to replace Gallo:
Last month, Gallo hit .138 with a 26% on-base rate, striking out 32 times over 65 at-bats. This month, he’s hitting .176 but is getting on base at a 39% clip, tallying three hits over 17 at-bats with seven strikeouts. Gallo may be getting on base, but he isn’t displaying the same power he once did during the 2021 campaign when he launched 38 long balls.
On the season, Gallo is hitting .166 with a 28.8% on-base rate, 10 homers, and 21 RBIs. He’s striking out at 38.3% with a 14.6% walk rate. His 84 wRC+ means he’s 16% worse than the average MLB player, which is simply unacceptable given the Yankees’ World Series aspirations.
Gallo has earned a 50.9% flyball rate with a 17.5% HR/FB ratio. His hard-hit metrics indicate he’s making solid contact when he makes contact at all. He features a 48.7% WHIFF rate on breaking balls and 34.7% WHIFF rate on fastballs.
Despite management putting their faith behind Gallo, reports continue to indicate that he is on the trade market, and the Yankees could be looking to move him within the next few weeks. Even if he dominated leading up to the trade deadline, it might not be enough of a sample size to justify retaining him for the rest of the season as a primary outfielder.
If there was any moment for Cashman to go all in and acquire a star player to help push this team over the edge, it is right now.