Yankees: Selecting the ideal Opening Day lineup

The ideal Yankees Opening Day lineup, fully healthy, is pretty simple

Every MLB team has an ideal lineup, that when everyone is fully healthy, they would unleash the most fury on an opposing pitching staff. The 2019 New York Yankees never were able to throw out their “optimal” starting nine, yet still managed to reach Game Six of the ALCS.

Injuries, unsung heroes, and some coaching decisions led to a plethora of different New York lineups, so many so, that by the time the Yankees suited up for their final game in Houston, only four players remained from the Opening Day group. To put things in perspective, DJ LeMahieu, who wound up being the best Yankees hitter, was viewed as a platoon player on Opening Day.

Let’s take a look at the vast differences between the two batting orders, starting with Opening Day’s card:

Next, we have the last Yankees lineup of the season, from October 19, 2019:

Without seeing the logo representative of those two lineup cards, one would think that those are two completely different teams. When the 2020 season finally gets underway (we here at Yanks go Yard are taking an optimistic approach) the Yankees would like to put their best possible unit out on the field.

So with that being said, what is the ideal Yankees lineup when they have all their options at full health?

The ideal Yankees lineup: 4-6

27

Giancarlo Stanton DH

Batting Fourth

Stanton drew the ire of most Yankees fans last season due to his inability to remain healthy. His productivity was limited over just 18 games, but the former home run champion is geared to have another stellar season if he can remain on the field.

In 2019, Stanton had 32 at-bats from the cleanup spot, his most out of any position in the lineup. There he batted .313, with one home run and six RBIs. In 2018, the 6’6 slugger hit cleanup during 71 games, clobbering 21 home runs while also hitting .321.

In other words, Stanton is your ideal middle of the order at-bat. Not only will a healthy Stanton increase the Yankees already impressive production, but his bat in the fourth spot of the order deepens the Yankees already formidable lineup.

25

Gleyber Torres SS

Batting Fifth

With the loss of Didi Gregorius to the Philadelphia Phillies, Gleyber Torres’s full-time switch to shortstop already comes with a newfound pressure, but I believe he will also slide up in the order into the five-hole.  The 23-year-old had at least one at-bat in all nine lineup spots in 2019 but was by far the most potent out of the fifth spot in the order.

Torres is a phenomenal hitter in any spot in the order, but he found his most success in the five-hole. Not only did he hit .281 in his 135 at-bats, but he also mashed 11 home runs and racked up 24 RBIs, paving the way for his best MLB season.

The young five-tool player may very well be the Yankees best hitter, and if he bats fifth, he will surely come to the plate with runners on base more times then not, giving him a chance to increase on his 38 home runs and 90 RBIs from the prior season.

31

Aaron Hicks CF

Batting Sixth

Aaron Hicks is another member of the Bronx Bombers who struggled to get off of the injury bus in 2019, playing just 59 games during the regular season. Battling Tommy John surgery this offseason, the COVID-19 delay has definitely lessened the time Hicks will be missing.

In his minimal appearances last season, the center-fielder hit just .235 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs, with all categories coming in lower than his 2018 numbers. Still, Hicks is a switch hitter, something the Yankees desperately need to offset their righty heavy lineup.

We already know about the California native’s defensive prowess, but since joining the Bombers his bat has come a long way as well. Look for Hicks to capitalize on batting behind such a talented hitter in Torres, and regain the offensive capabilities he displayed just two seasons ago.

The ideal Yankees lineup: 7-9

29

Gio Urshela 3B

Batting Seventh

The battle at third base will be Aaron Boone’s toughest decision on a nightly basis, but I believe the offensive upside of Gio Urshela coupled with his superior defensive ability gives him the edge her over Miguel Andujar. Last season, Urshela took full advantage of his call up, hitting .314 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs in 132 games.

Now the 28-year-old faces healthy competition for that starting job and his performance will have to continue to be impressive in order to keep a hungry Andujar from claiming it. His best chance of doing that is in the seventh spot in the order, where he had 118 at-bats and hit .381 last season.

Urshela did damage out of this spot and his .423 OBP from this spot means the bottom of the order always has a chance at starting off productive innings.

59

Luke Voit 1B

Batting Eighth

Luke Voit had a very up and down 2019, which saw him battle injuries and get left off the Yankees postseason roster. He did hit .263 with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs, which is by no means a bad season.

27.8% of Voit’s plate appearances ended with a strikeout, a number that must be reduced if Voit wants to have success in the upcoming campaign. The reason that the 29-year-old finds himself in this lineup spot is due to the embarrassment of riches that the Yankees have and the fact that Voit’s power means opposing staffs have no breaks from power bats.

There are other options at first such as Andjujar or Mike Ford, but Voit is the most seasoned first baseman who possesses incredible pop and deserves a chance to be in the lineup.

11

Brett Gardner LF

Batting Ninth

Last but not least, the cagey veteran Brett Gardner will round out the Yankees lineup batting ninth. Gardner, who has long been the most underappreciated Yankees player, has a long history of getting the job done. The job of the nine-hole hitter is twofold; firstly you have to drive in runners who are on base and also keep the inning alive for the top of the order.

Last season, the veteran outfielder hit .251 with 28 home runs and 74 RBIs, while also hitting .240 in 104 at-bats at the bottom of the order. Although the numbers do not jump off the page, Gardner’s ability to be a top-notch defender while understanding his role and sliding up and down the lineup makes him integral to New York’s success. With speed and power, Gardner is the perfect candidate to round out the Yankees lineup.

The ideal Yankees lineup: The bench

The Yankees are one of the deepest teams in baseball. Their bench consists of a rookie of the year candidate in Miguel Andujar, who hit .297 in 2018, Tyler Wade, Kyle Higashioka, and Mike Tauchman.

There is more depth in the minors with Clint Frazier, Mike Ford, Thairo Estrada, and Estevan Florial.

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With this amount of depth, the Yankees can plug players in to rest starters and see less of a drop off than most teams in the MLB. However, one through nine, the Yankees ideal lineup, when healthy, is the most formidable in all of baseball.