Yankees news: Projecting the starting outfield for 2021

New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

The New York Yankees have a long way to go before they know their 2021 starting roster, but we can predict a few positions with general ease. Of course, GM Brian Cashman will be making some decisions this year in the starting pitching rotation and possibly the acquisition of a star infielder like Francisco Lindor.

This upcoming off-season is going to be interesting, simply as a result of COVID-19 and the financial toll it took on teams like the Yankees. Will they have the same financial flexibility they normally do? Regardless, there are other big players in the market this year, including a rejuvenating New York Mets team led by Steve Cohen, who is now the richest owner in the MLB.

It won’t be as easy to lure players to the Yankees as it once was, as teams begin to spend more money, especially in the same market. Nonetheless, Cashman is never afraid to throw around his checkbook and inject star power into his lineup. Lindor would certainly offer that value he’s looking for at shortstop, but the retention of DJ LeMahieu should be the team’s primary focus.

Projecting the Yankees’ starting outfield for 2021:

RF: Aaron Judge

Of course, Aaron Judge will remain the starter in right field. He’s arbitration-eligible in 2022 and a free agent in 2023, so the Yankees have a bit more time until they have to make a financial decision on his future.

This past year, he played in less than half of the games. Over 28 contests, he earned a .257 BA with nine homers and 22 RBIs. He struck out 28.1% of the time, his lowest in five years, and walked the least amount at 8.8%. While he earned a lowly 0.9 WAR, the sample size is so small we can’t extract viable numbers.

Nonetheless, Judge is one of the best defensive right fielders in the game, posting a perfect fielding percentage and allowing zero errors during the 2020 campaign. The primary issue with Judge is his inconsistency in the health department, missing games the past few years, so having solid depth just in case is essential for the Yankees.

CF: Aaron Hicks

When the Yankees signed Hicks to a seven-year, $70 million deal in 2019, they imagined he would be their starting centerfielder for the foreseeable future. That has not changed, as he played in 54 games for the Yankees this past season, logging a .225 average with six homers and 21 RBIs.

He was a bit inconsistent at the plate but had an insane walk right at 19.4%. As for his fielding, Hicks logged a .980 fielding percentage with two errors.

He will retain the starting spot in center, but hopefully, see an increase in productivity on offense in 2021.

LF: Clint Frazier

With Brett Gardner seeing his club option declined, the expectation is the Yankees will offer him a one year deal for far less money. He will essentially be a rotational piece while the young Clint Frazier takes over in left field after struggling defensively in 2019. Frazier was a Gold Glove finalist this year in the outfield.

He is arbitration-eligible in 2022, but the Yankees have control over him until 2025. At such a cheap price, the Yankees can utilize their money elsewhere by simply starting Frazier in LF. He was solid at the plate, hitting .267 with eight homers and 26 RBIs this past season.

Across the board, the Yankees saw elevated walk rates, as Clint landed a 15.6% rate. He did strike out 27.5% of the time, but overall, he cemented himself as a starter, despite Aaron Boone leaving him behind to start the season. He played in just 39 games out of 60 but showed enough that the Yankees can feel confident moving forward with him in the outfield.

Mentioned in this article:

More about: