Yankees: It’s Still Early But It’s Time Juggle The Lineup

When Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, first talked about separating Gardner and Ellsbury in the everyday lineup, it sounded like a good idea. Now, maybe not so much.

The Yankees decision to have Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury hit back to back when both are similar type hitters, wasn’t getting the intended results. So, the idea of moving Ellsbury down in the order seemed sound. It was the other decision that makes less sense.

That decision is the one regarding batting Gary Sanchez second in the lineup. Sanchez is one of the few power threats in the current lineup. Despite the theory that it’s more beneficial to bat your best hitter second, Sanchez looks out of place there. He’s really a number three or four.

So far, the Yankees have only played three games. It’s still early. Some may say premature to tinker with the lineup. The problem though is that the Yankees have had trouble scoring runs the past few years. They may be able to remedy that if the lineup were configured differently. How will they do it though?

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For starters, Sanchez could be slotted into the number three hole. That would effectively move everyone else down. Greg Bird would move to cleanup; Matt Holliday would most likely be the number five. Jacoby Ellsbury, the current number five hitter would move to the more reasonable six spot.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Who do you move to the second place in the order? Starlin Castro is an excellent hitter but has issues with plate discipline. Even when healthy, Didi Gregorius is probably better hitting in the middle of the order. So, that leaves us with Chase Headley.

Video Courtesy of the YES Network

Could Headley handle hitting in that spot? So far, and it’s only three games, Headley looks alright. Batting left-handed, the switch-hitting third baseman has been having fun with the shift imposed by other teams and getting hits the other way. His bunt for a base hit on Sunday was pure genius. With his fast start and bat control, he could perhaps be a decent number two hitter.

Otherwise, the Yankees could back to Gardner and Ellsbury at the top. The question is, who would want to? With both players declining offensively, it makes little sense to think this season would be better. Gardner is no longer a threat to run, and Ellsbury seems to have lost his drive.

Yankees: Forget About The Pitching – Just Hit The Damn Ball!

The Yankees will struggle through the first half of the season with a rotation that is questionable at best. But the Offense can overcome that.

No matter who bats second, it shouldn’t be Sanchez. The Yankees need to end the experiment and return him to a traditional spot to drive in runs. The argument to bat your best hitter second is simply just a theory. One the Yankees should ignore.