What Have the Yankees Done With the Real Chase Headley?

If I told you Yankees third baseman Chase Headley is second in the AL in batting average at .396, would you believe me? Well, you should.

What a difference a year makes. In 2016, Chase Headley had another so-so go-around for the Yankees — .253/.331/.386 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI. His intangible stats weren’t much better, as Headley struck out 118 times, walked 51 and stole eight bases.

Not only did this performance lead to him being benched for a week in August, following a return from a calf injury, but rampant offseason trade speculation, surrounded by each and every Yankees fan longing for Manny Machado, must have sparked a competitive fire that has catapulted Headley to performing like it’s 2012 all over again.

In 58 at-bats this season, Headley is hitting a Ruthian .396/.500/.656 with three homers and six RBI. On top of this otherworldly line, “Head,” has already walked 10 times and is 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts.

Instead of succumbing the mounting pressures of living up to everyone else’s expectations for how he should perform through the final two years and $25 million remaining on his contract, Headley has shunned the haters and instead become a consistent force in a Yankees lineup that has been with Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez for almost the entire season.

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In last night’s 9-1 victory over the White Sox, manager Joe Girardi reinserted Headley back into the lineup following a night off — placing him in the number two hole. Headley responded by smashing a two-run long ball in the first inning that would have been enough for the Bombers to hold on and win — even before the club scored another seven runs.

Brandon Kuty of NJ Advance Media recently asked Headley what part of his game has changed to deliver such excellent results.

"“I think it started mechanically and then you start to get some results. And then, obviously, the confidence comes from there,” Headley said. “I’ve had some good fortune. It’s been a little bit of everything. I’ve swung at good pitches. The balls have found some holes. I’ve swung the bat well. Everything together — you feel good at the plate, you’re comfortable. That’s probably it. Not the simple answer you asked for but it’s the best I could give you.”"

As long as players like Headley, Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks continue to defy expectations, the Yankees have a fighting chance, in a suddenly shaky AL East.

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Worst case scenario, if this club hits a rough patch during the steamy summer months, and Headley still manages to play close to the level he’s shown through the first 15 games, he’ll be a wanted man come the July 31 trade deadline. Either way, it’s a win-win.