
Yankees must stay healthy
For one, we’ve already seen strength & conditioning coach Matt Krause fired. Following 30 players being placed on the IL across 39 stints, something needed to be done to clear the stigma of the Yankees incorrectly training their players to the point of breaking down.
So who are some of the men that need to have a healthy, productive season for the Yankees to defeat all comers?
- Aaron Judge
- Giancarlo Stanton
- Luis Severino
- Gary Sanchez
- Luke Voit
Each need to prove they have moved past the injuries that plagued them in 2019. With Judge, Stanton, and Sanchez in the everyday lineup, the Yankees are scary. Even with a lack of left-handed power (Aaron Hicks isn’t expected back until August), Judge and Stanton can drive the ball the opposite way, relegating the need to acquire a lefty stick.
Sanchez, who did improve blocking balls, still needs work on his frame rate — even if his arm is elite. A catcher with his type of hitting ability doesn’t come along very often. Therefore a change in positions would decrease his value, so we shouldn’t expect one until the Yankees have finally given up in their quest to make him an above-average backstop.
Getting a full season out of Luke Voit would be a plus as well — not only because we’ve yet to see the level of production (on both sides of the ball) he’s capable of across a full campaign, but also because the future of Mike Ford depends on it.
Ford slugged 12 home runs in 143 at-bats — and while he would add an extra left-handed power bat, Ford’s defense is only marginally better than Voit’s. Although he likely gets a call-up at some point in 2020, expect Ford to begin the season at Triple-A Scranton.