The New York Yankees will reportedly start outfielder Alex Verdugo in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals according to Andy Martino of SNY. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox last December, he had a strong start with the Bronx Bombers before a pitiful summer slump. The Yankees had promoted top prospect Jasson Dominguez from Scranton to compete with the veteran, but Aaron Boone will choose the defensive-minded left fielder over the high-risk high-reward rookie. Given the Royals’ high contact rates and ball-in-play totals, the Yankees may believe this could help them prevent runs.
Neither bat really stood out in September, and while it’s disappointing to not see their top prospect get a start in the postseason opener, the Yankees don’t seem committed to one plan permanently.
Alex Verdugo Gets the Start in Left Field For the Yankees
2024 was a down year for Alex Verdugo, who posted a career-worst 83 wRC+ and struggled to do much of anything offensively in the second-half. His poor offensive play raised plenty of questions about whether he should start for the Yankees in October, but Jasson Dominguez hadn’t pulled himself away from the competition either.
Alex Verdugo provides an excellent glove in left field, with +6 DRS and +3 FRV on the season, and there’s been plenty of conversation about Dominguez’s play out there. He hasn’t been able to track the ball reliably and its cost the Yankees runs in big spots, and with Anthony Rizzo already out of the lineup, New York is already compromised.
The Kansas City Royals, who handled the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Round, come into town with a style of baseball that can exploit poor defensive lineups.
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Kansas City had a top-three Zone Contact% and finished with one of the five-lowest strikeout rates in baseball, indicating that this team will force contact instead of striking out. That doesn’t always work out, especially when the opposing teams has the proper defensive personnel to flag down floaters or groundballs looking to find a whole. It’s clear that defense is the advantage for Verdugo, as he doesn’t have the power or speed that Dominguez flashed early in his career.
Again, this doesn’t seem to close the door on Jasson Dominguez starting a playoff game, but it does show us that the team is comfortable in what they have with Verdugo. The Yankees will play their first playoff game tomorrow night in the Bronx as they look to make a deep postseason run after missing October altogether in 2023.