Right field – Aaron Judge (2017)
As a rookie, Judge had one of the best seasons in Yankees’ history. Aaron Judge is only getting started Yankee fans, so get ready.
I choose Judge because he is an all-around player with clearly enough power to hang with guys like Ruth, Mantle and Gehrig. While strikeouts are his kryptonite, he’s still a force at the plate. The best part about Judge is his character. What a humble human being he is?
But let us revisit his incredible 2017 another time as we head into Spring Training for the 2018 season. We’ve heard the analysts go over his numbers and lose their minds, as they should. As a 25-year-old rookie, Judge changed his approach at the plate, and it worked.
In his historic rookie campaign, Judge slashed .282/.422/.627 and bashed 52 home runs with 114 RBI. He also took home the AL Rookie of the Year Award, Silver Slugger, made an All-Star appearance and finished behind Jose Altuve in the MVP race.
Honorable mention
Paul O’Neil (1994)
My favorite baseball player of all-time is Paul O’Neil, and I am not making my all-season roster without considering him. It’s not surprising to me that I was born the same year O’Neil became a Yankee in 1993. He was a warrior with a rocket arm, wasn’t afraid to express his frustration, and oh yeah, he could hit too.
His best season in pinstripes according to the math was 1994. He batted a league-high .359 with an OBP of .460, SLG of .603 and hit 21 home runs with 83 RBI. If not 1994, his 1998 season was his best season according to his career-high WAR of 5.8.