Yankees Luke Voit uses Miguel Andujar’s bat on way to AL POTW honors
With Miguel Andujar likely to return to the Yankees this weekend, let’s hope he and reigning AL Player of the Week Luke Voit can share a bat to keep the hot streak alive.
Major League Baseball has officially named Yankees first baseman Luke Voit as the AL Player of the Week. This is the second time he has won the award — the final week of the 2018 regular season being the first.
In case you didn’t catch any of the Bombers recent exploits, they went 6-1 on the West Coast road trip, sweeping the Giants — and keeping pace with the first place Rays (two games back).
During that time, Voit’s 13-game hit streak was snapped, but his 39-games of consecutively getting base is good enough for eighth in franchise history (tying Willie Randolph) and is the most since Mark Teixeira’s 42 in 2010.
On Tuesday, Voit recorded his first multi-homer game of the season — the second of his career, becoming the fifth Yankee to accomplish the feat already in 2019.
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To round out the exceptional week of production, the 28-year-old slugger slashed .433/.528/.867 with 10 runs, 13 hits, 26 total bases, one double, four home runs, 10 RBIs and five walks.
Winners of nine out of their last 10, it’s safe to say without the exploits of Voit’s potent bat, the Yanks would surely have a hole to fill in their mishmashed lineup.
However, the bat Voit has predominately used to slug a team-high 25 RBIs (second in the AL) and tie Gary Sanchez for first in home runs with eight homers, isn’t even his — it actually belongs to injured teammate Miguel Andujar.
When Voit was asked by Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com as to why he’s using Andujar’s stick, Voit explained:
“Because the guy’s got so many hits with them,’’ Voit said with a smile after going 3-for-4 with two RBI in the Yankees’ 11-5 win against the Giants on Sunday… “I was just thinking about it, one of those mind games, baseball superstition thing,’’ Voit said of the real genesis behind the change.
Voit began using Andujar’s bat 11 games ago because Miguel’s stick is 31 ounces (one less than Voit’s), allowing the big fella to turn on fastballs pitched inside. Both players’ usual bats are the same length, 34 inches.
As long as Voit continues to produce at such a furious pace, I’m sure Andujar will have no problem sharing.