Sunday’s developments in the New York Yankees‘ clubhouse stirred the rumor mill, as a delayed press conference by Manager Aaron Boone led to speculation. The cause was a prolonged discussion with the struggling third baseman, Josh Donaldson.
The Tale of Josh Donaldson’s Turbulent Performance
Donaldson’s stint with the Yankees this year has been marred by subpar performance. Despite his six home runs in 21 games, his costly statistics of .125/.197/.406 and a 28.2 percent strikeout rate reflect his struggle on the field.
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Boone admitted to having “a long conversation” with Donaldson, insisting they’re now “on the same page.”
In an expression of faith, the Yankees’ skipper voiced confidence in Donaldson’s capabilities. Boone sees Donaldson as a significant player who can rise to the occasion despite the ongoing challenges, as indicated by Hoch’s report.
Analyzing Donaldson’s Shortfalls
A glaring 4.4 percent line drive rate, as per FanGraphs, could be the culprit behind his low batting average, as other metrics seem promising.
Boone’s Enduring Patience with Donaldson
“It’s a small sample size, but he has seven barrels in 35 batted balls since his return. That 20% barrel rate is quite good — only four qualified hitters have a barrel rate than high this season (Judge, Gallo, Burger, Wisdom). He has a nice 51.4% hard-hit rate this month, which ranks 37th among all players with at least 50 PAs this month. A 4.5-degree launch angle is kind of keeping him from doing a ton of damage with all those hard-hit balls,” he wrote.
What Lies Ahead for Donaldson?
To revive his season, Donaldson must connect with the ball more frequently and reduce his ground hits. Reducing his strikeouts can also assist in this recovery. However, maintaining optimism can be challenging given his offensive liability spanning two consecutive seasons.