The New York Yankees are a bit more optimistic about Matt Carpenter’s chances of making a playoff appearance after his latest x-rays.
Carpenter is finally out of the walking boot, and his foot is showing signs of healing, which is good news with about two weeks left in the regular season.
A lot still needs to happen before Carpenter can make an appearance and take any at-bats, but he’s on his way if the healing process begins to speed up.
However, the veteran acquisition doesn’t seem like he’s going to miss an opportunity to help his team in the playoffs, regardless of what the results showed.
“Regardless of what the scan says, I want to be available for the postseason,’’ Carpenter said Wednesday. “Even if it’s in a pinch-hit capacity, kind of like the role when I first got here.’’
The Yankees’ offense is simply better when Matt Carpenter is playing:
Carpenter served as an offensive catalyst when the Yankees plucked him off the Texas rangers AAA affiliate. Over 47 games, Carpenter featured a .305 average with a 41.2% on-base rate. He was only striking out at 22.7% and featured a 12.3% walk rate. His 217 wRC+ indicated he was 117% better than the average MLB player. The fact he was scooped up off a minor-league affiliate is simply blasphemous.
Carpenter isn’t worried about ramping up and getting at-bats before a return.
“I’m not worried about that,’’ Carpenter said. “I know what I need to do to get ready for whatever the situation is. … If they want me to be a left-handed bat off the bench, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
There is no question that Carpenter can make an impact during the postseason, especially given his incredible metrics with runners in scoring position. Over 34 at-bats, Carpenter hit .324 with a 47.8% on-base rate, including seven homers and 26 RBIs with RISP. He somehow managed to slug 15 homers in 47 games with 37 RBIs. He posted a 42.1% hard-hit rate and 13.7% barrel rate, averaging 89.8 mph of exit velocity.
In other words, the Yankees simply struck gold with Matt, and if they can get him back for the playoffs, they can use him situationally to help spark more offensive production.