There may not be an area that the New York Yankees have more dire need of than solidifying their batting order with hitters that can drive in runs with players in scoring position.
More Needs to Be Done in the Middle of the Yankees’ Lineup
The Yankees batted in 650 runs in 2023. Only five teams drove in fewer scores across the MLB. Former MVP Giancarlo Stanton usually bats cleanup for the Bronx Bombers but bottomed out with an abysmal .191/.275/.420 slash line in the worst hitting season of his career.
Josh Donaldson came under fire midway through the season for his lackluster play in a short spell batting fourth in the order. With two of their biggest names failing to produce, New York will need Stanton to get healthy and play up to standard or find a new option that can help put points on the board with more regularity.
Gleyber Torres has owned the third spot in the rotation and produced a steady 68 RBIs across 596 at-bats, but more is needed from the Yankees’ top guns.
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Having their name linked to soon-to-be free agent star OF Juan Soto — who was responsible for 109 runs driven in batting third for the San Diego Padres this year — would be an ideal step in the right direction.
Anthony Volpe led the team with 167 strikeouts at fifth and sixth in the order and as New York hopes to develop their young 22-year-old prospect more, that will be an area he’ll need to zone in on in next year’s spring training.
Can A Fix Come if the Yankees Don’t Advance on Base Enough?
The Yankees’ 221 doubles tied the New York Mets for the worst benchmark in the MLB while their 15 triples ranked No. 13 of 15 American League teams. Hitters getting past first base was a problem that needs remedying to begin with. They posted a bottom-10 line drive percentage in the MLB and a middle-of-the-pack ground ball percentage at 42.5 percent.
New York had little problems dialing in home runs, but whenever a team is boom-or-bust at the plate, seeing the playoffs becomes a pipe dream. The Yankees can at least hang their hats on a winning season despite the subpar hitting peripherals.
Aaron Judge missing 56 games also took a major toll on New York putting pressure on opposing pitchers early in the lineup. And to make matters worse, the Yankees were not able to capitalize on stolen bases or sacrifice fly’s, being a bottom-10 team in those departments as well. The front office and coaching staff will address these issues this offseason as returning to postseason play remains the primary objective for the franchise.