The New York Yankees face a dilemma going into the 2020 season, they have two very capable 3B on their roster. Gio Urshela captured the hearts of many in the Bronx, with a breakout season that made him one of the most beloved Yankees on the roster. With Urshela being only 28, it seems to be that Urshela is going to gear up and get ready to take over the hot corner for years to come. The issue with that? In 2018 Yankee fans said the same thing with now 24-year-old Miguel Andujar. With this pressing issue, what should the Yankees do at the 3B?
Urshela’s a Productive Fella
At the start of the 2019 season, the New York Yankees suffered a plethora of injuries, and one of the major ones was to the young third baseman, Miguel Andujar. Career backup and minor leaguer Gio Urshela was called to fill the role as a stopgap for Andujar to return, but something incredible happened. Urshela caught fire and was hit like a star for the Yankees. Andujar was set to return in the middle of the season, but his return was brief, and he was shut down for the season. Urshela didn’t slow down and finished his season with a 3.1 fWAR, a .314/.355/.534 slash line, 34 doubles, and 21 longballs. His defense is average, with a -4 DRS at 3B, but it’s not terrible. How does Andujar compare?
AnduHard To Pass Up On
Miguel Andujar had a strong rookie season in 2018, posting an impressive .297/.323/.527 slash line for the Bronx Bombers. He clubbed 27 longballs, 47 doubles, and a 2.8 fWAR in 149 games for the Yankees. He struggles to work walks, posting a 4.1% walk rate, but he only strikes out 16% of the time. His issue comes defensively, as he is pitiful and is why Urshela’s being seen as the first option.
No Glove, No Job?
To say that Andujar is bad defensively is an understatement, Andujar is borderline inept with the glove at 3B. In 2018, Andujar finished dead last in DRS at 3B, with a whopping -25Â DRS. Andujar in 2018 allowed 21 more runs than Urshela in 2019, and the defense makes it very hard to put him back in the hot corner when you have an option that can hit well and field much better. This doesn’t mean that Andujar needs to ride the bench for the Yankees, however.
DH For the Future
Andujar will most likely only get better as a hitter, and with the 70+ extra-base hits that Andujar provides for the New York Yankees, he could be a great DH. Andujar is only awful with the glove and even runs very well with his average feet per second being 27.8 in 2018 and 28.1 in 2019. Those totals were good for the 70th Percentile in 2018 and 77th Percentile in 2019 amongst all MLB players! Andujar also doesn’t back down in big-time moments, as he rakes with RISP (Runners In Scoring Position):
Stats With RISP (2018):
127 PA
.294 AVG
.345 OBP
.571 SLG
.916 OPS
8 HR
64 RBI
In a lineup that finished 4th in OBP with a .339 OBP in 2019, there are going to be a lot of runners on the basepaths, and Andujar can be the guy to drive them all in. Don’t be surprised if Andujar strikes fear into the hearts of pitchers facing him with runners on in 2020, and expect extra-base hits galore. Andujar could add another layer to a stacked lineup, and do big things for the Yankees for years to come.
What would you do with Andujar? Is he part of the future in New York for you?