Alex Verdugo’s play has been questioned and criticized for much of the season. It happens when you are a corner outfielder with a suspect bat (.647 OPS) and limited power (13 homers in more than 500 trips to the plate). That’s all true. However, it’s also true that the New York Yankees won on Saturday because of him, as he prevented a run from scoring with his glove and had the game-winning RBI in the seventh frame. That’s also true and needs to be said.
The Yankees have already named Verdugo the starter for Game 2
Fans and media (yes, everyone, even this site) have advocated for Jasson Dominguez to start in left field. Yet it would be negligent to ignore the fact that, at least for Game 2 on Monday, going with Verdugo again makes sense for the Yankees.
For what it’s worth, manager Aaron Boone has already confirmed he is going with Verdugo. And it’s the right call. For much of the year, it seemed like Boone rewarded Verdugo for his bad play. That he didn’t deserve, but after the way he played on Saturday, it makes sense to do it now.
The Yankees are making the right decision
The Yankees are also smart for letting Verdugo ride his momentum and build more confidence. We all know that postseason baseball is a different animal than the regular season and it’s impossible to predict certain things.
There is a legit baseball reason to give Verdugo the nod at left field on Monday: Carlos Rodon, the Yankees starter, is an extreme fly ball pitcher. He conceded 0.59 groundouts for every out in the air, and Verdugo is a better fielder than Dominguez.
Verdugo accumulated seven Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and 0 Outs Above Average (OAA), while the ‘Martian’ was at -2 and -3, respectively. We saw, on Saturday, Verdugo catch balls that Dominguez probably wouldn’t. He does have a better glove than the rookie and with a pitcher that concedes so much contact in the air, it matters. The Yankees will eventually have plenty of opportunities for Dominguez. Game 2, however, rightfully belongs to Verdugo.
