Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday with a 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles behind a solid start from Will Warren and an offense that finally put something together. One of the contributors who deserves some shine is Amed Rosario, who started at second base with Jazz Chisholm getting the day off against a left-handed starter.
Rosario went out and did exactly what the Yankees signed him to do, and he’s been doing it consistently enough that the $2.5 million deal is starting to look like one of the better value signings in the American League this year.
What He’s Actually Produced
Through the first half of the season, Rosario is slashing .268/.316/.493 with four homers and 15 RBIs. That’s a .809 OPS from a player who costs less than most teams spend on a backup catcher. His ability to play second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield corners makes him genuinely flexible in a way that utility players rarely are, and the Yankees have been deploying that flexibility constantly this season as the injury situation has demanded it.
The interesting wrinkle this year is that his splits have flipped from what his career history would suggest. Rosario has traditionally been significantly better against left-handed pitching, which is why the Yankees acquired him specifically as a right-handed platoon bat. In 34 at-bats against lefties this season he’s hitting .235 with two homers and seven RBIs, which is solid. But he’s actually been better against right-handed pitching in the overall sample, which nobody saw coming.
The sample is small enough that the career splits will likely reassert themselves as the season progresses, but it’s a good problem for Boone to have. A utility player who produces against both handednesses is more valuable than one who is strictly limited to favorable matchups.
Why the Yankees Needed This
The depth that Rosario provides has been especially valuable during the injury stretch the Yankees have been navigating. With Jose Caballero now dealing with a right middle finger injury and Anthony Volpe just rejoining the roster after his Triple-A rehab, having a veteran infielder who can cover multiple spots without the offensive profile cratering is genuinely important. Rosario is not a player you build a lineup around, but he’s exactly the kind of player that prevents a lineup from falling apart when the starters aren’t available.
He hit a three-run homer earlier this season against Oakland that changed the course of a game the Yankees needed to win. He’s driven in multiple runs in clutch situations throughout the year. At his price, the Yankees are getting legitimate offensive contributions in addition to the defensive versatility they signed him for.
Brian Cashman doesn’t always get credit for the smaller acquisitions, but Rosario is exactly the type of veteran depth signing that separates contending rosters from ones that fall apart when adversity hits. The Yankees needed a right-handed bat who could play everywhere. They got that and more.
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