Yankees’ Joey Gallo details struggles and his desire to stay at the trade deadline

joey gallo, yankees

With the MLB trade deadline quickly approaching, the New York Yankees have a big decision to make with slugger Joey Gallo. Gallo has struggled considerably during the 2022 season, hitting .167 with a 28% on-base rate and a .338 slugging percentage.

Gallo’s hard-hit metrics indicate he should be producing more offensively. He’s earned a 48.6% hard-hit rate, 19.6% barrel rate, and features 21.7° of launch angle. Having produced a 49.5% flyball rate, he’s simply just missing the baseball when it comes to getting it over the fence. His 18.9% HR/FB ratio is down significantly from recent seasons.

“I definitely think coming over here was a difficult adjustment for him and something that he’s continued to work very hard to overcome and we’re going to continue to support him,” Aaron Boone said.

Gallo detailed his struggles since joining the Yankees, indicating he’s been going through a few slumps. Some players aren’t cut out for the intensity of Yankee stadium and the amount of heat one can receive for playing poorly.

“Yeah. It’s tough when you’re not playing well. It’s tough going through slumps. It’s even tougher obviously here (with the Yankees) where there’s a lot more eyes on you and a lot more opinions and whatnot. But I’ve played this game my whole life. I understand the player that I’ve been throughout my career. I know that I have the work ethic and talent to get back to where I want to be. I know it’s just a matter of time before it does happen again.

Joey Gallo is hoping to get things going, making the Yankees’ decision on him more difficult:

Despite Gallo’s issues, he is still 100% confident that he will find his groove and begin producing again. Trying to do too much in the batter’s box can sometimes extend those cold streaks. However, Joey finally had a bit of success against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, launching a solo homer and tallying two runs.

“Sometimes I start wanting to do too much. When I’m struggling, I’m thinking too much about putting the ball in play or not swinging at a bad pitch. Then I lose some of that aggressiveness at the plate that I usually have. I start getting almost in a defensive mode. When I start to struggle, I start swinging and missing too much. Then I’m like, “Let me put the ball in play.” I need to remember, “I’m here to do damage and drive the ball.”

In the month of June, Gallo posted a .138 average with a 26.3% on base rate. He recorded just nine hits and struck out 32 times over 65 at-bats. He cannot replicate those numbers again in July, otherwise, management will have no choice but to move on from him at the deadline.