Yankees: Strengths, weaknesses and where they can improve

The excelling sluggers

As it stands, the Yankees are tied for 5^th in the AL in runs scored, which is good but still short of the top offense many believed they were going to be. When looking at the Yanks’ offense, there are a couple of standouts who have put the team on their back, mainly Aaron Judge and Didi Gregorius.

Judge looks primed to shut up the doubters, getting off to a blistering start with a .324/.462/.608 slash line that includes six homers and a 1.106 OPS. Somehow, he looks even better and wiser at the plate this year, making adjustments between games and often even in-between at-bats, helping to validate his claim that he wouldn’t be a one-hit wonder.

This has resulted in his strikeout rate dropping from 30.7 percent last year to 24.7 percent this season, a considerable improvement especially for a player who scorches the ball whenever he hits it.

Maybe Judge’s average dips a little bit, but I think his power will show up in a big way once the weather finally turns, preparing him for another run at the AL MVP award.

Didi again looks like an improved ballplayer this year, continuing his ascension from a near All-Star bid to bonafide stardom to start 2018. He has kept his knack for clutch moments, and his power has already proven to be legit after starting with six home runs and a league-leading 1.206 OPS.

I like the move of slotting him into three-hole between Judge and Stanton, giving opposing pitchers a different look from the left-side of the plate and also breaking up the two behemoths with a more contact-oriented hitter.

With Judge and Brett Gardner doing a good job setting the table, having a player who will reliably put the ball in-play and come up big in the clutch is a good move for the offense and can relieve some stress off Stanton’s shoulders.

A number of other position players have enjoyed solid starts to the season as well, including Ronald Torreyes who’s .417 batting average is the highest in the league (with a minimum of 30 AB). Tyler Austin has shown he’s very capable of filling in for Greg Bird — Aaron Hicks, since his return from the DL and a scorching Miguel Andujar.