Yankees: Good news and bad news from 9-8 loss against Phillies

yankees, anthony volpe
Mar 12, 2023; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (77) homers against the Boston Red Sox in the fifth inning during spring training at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon, and after going down 7–0 early on, the Bombers nearly snuck out a victory, eventually accepting defeat 9–8.

The Yanks tallied eight hits with 11 walks and 15 strikeouts. Star prospect Anthony Volpe stole the show with a number of highlights which will be referenced below. In addition, several pitchers enjoyed quality performances, but starter Luis Severino endured yet another disappointing spring training outing.

Good news for the Yankees:

As mentioned, the Yankees had several quality offensive performances, notably that of Anthony Volpe. The team’s No. 1 prospect recorded a hit, two walks, and an RBI across two at-bats. He elevated his batting average to .333 with a .459 OBP and a .667 slugging percentage.

Even more impressive, Volpe snagged a ground ball with his bare hand and launched it to first base with incredible efficiency. Volpe also stole a base, showing off his aggressive style and veteran-level IQ.

The 21-year-old top prospect has done everything possible to prove he deserves to be on the opening-day roster, but the decision has yet to be made as the Yankees still have to figure out what they’re gonna do with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Gleyber Torres.

Aside from Volpe, Aaron Judge posted a hit, a walk, and logged a run. Oswaldo Cabrera earned a hit and an RBI with a walk, and catching prospect Mickey Gasper posted two hits.

As for the pitching, Ron Marinaccio enjoyed yet another scoreless inning, maintaining his 0.00 ERA this spring, and Nick Ramirez also lasted 1.2 innings without giving up a run. I would’ve loved to speak highly of Severino, who did put together a few solid at-bats after a seven-run first inning, showcasing his velocity and improved slider accuracy.

Bad news for the Yankees:

Unfortunately, Severino is the primary negative from today’s contest. Over 2.1 innings, Sevy gave up four earned runs, two hits, three walks, and struck out four batters. He now hosts a 10.64 ERA this spring, but management shouldn’t worry too much ahead of the regular season. The Yankees’ starting pitcher often times struggles during the spring but picks things up once April rolls around, so we should expect a similar result.

Offensively, there were a few disappointing performances, courtesy of Rafael Ortega and Aaron Hicks. Ortega struck out twice across three at-bats, and Hicks also struck out twice, lowering his batting average to .231 with a .259 OBP.

The left-field position battle is certainly becoming a problem since no specific player is elevating their game enough to justify the starting job. Both Hicks and Ortega have had their moments, albeit sparingly.

In addition to both Hicks and Ortega, Isiah Kiner-Falefa contributed two strikeouts, watching his average drop to .227 with a .308 OBP. The writings is on the wall for IKF, who expects to play centerfield during Friday’s game.

The Yankees also had two other pitchers have difficult outings: Carlos Gomez, who gave up three earned runs, three walks, and two hits across 0.1 innings, and Jack Neely, who blew the game, giving up two earned runs and three hits in the final 1.1 innings of action.

It is beautiful to see Volpe continue dominating the spring, but the Yankees need far more out of their veteran outfielders ahead of opening day. We will be keeping a close eye on their performances over the next two weeks.