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: 1-3

26

DJ LeMahieu 2B

Batting First

Gone is the prototypical leadoff hitter who thrives on seeing pitches and stealing bases. Modern leadoff hitters have power, a keen eye, and the ability to start and finish rallies, a combination which is frustrating for opposing pitchers to face out of the gate. In the Bronx, an ideal leadoff candidate could be found at second base, in 31-year-old DJ LeMahieu.

LeMahieu was nothing short of spectacular last season and following a year which saw him post a .327/.375/.893 slash line, he is a no-brainer for the first spot in the order. Couple his tendency to get on base with his low strikeout rate of 13.7%, he is an ideal top of the order guy.

The second basemen proved to be more than just a contact hitter last year, clobbering 26 home runs and driving in 102 runs. His ability to drive in runners who are in scoring position is top-notch as well. In 2019 he hit .389 and had 73 RBIs with runners in scoring position, as well as bat .346 with two outs in an inning. LeMahieu is the perfect guy to cap off the bottom of the order rally that the Yankees have become accustomed too.

99

Aaron Judge RF

Batting Second

Up next is big Aaron Judge, the Yankees phenomenal young right-fielder. Despite missing several games last season to injury, Judge still impressed with a .272 average and .921 OPS. In addition to those numbers, the California native smashed 27 home runs while driving in 55 RBIs in just 102 games.

The 6’7 right-fielder spent 99 games in the two-hole in 2019, and his familiarity with that role, especially hitting behind LeMahieu. According to FanGraphs, Judge has a walk rate of 14.3 % and a hard-hit percentage of 53.8, making him a threat to do damage at any given moment.

The only concern with Judge is his inability to remain healthy, but when he is on the field, the slugger possesses one of the most complete skill sets in all of baseball. With LeMahieu’s ability to get on base and Judge’s ability to go deep, the Yankees have arguably the best one-two punch in baseball.

24

Gary  Sanchez C

Batting Third

Gary Sanchez has earned both praise and jeers from the Bronx faithful over his young career, as the catcher has consistently proven that his hot and cold streaks will forever remain a part of his game. Yet the power he possesses does make him a threat at the plate at all times, and when he gets a pitch in his wheelhouse it travels a long long way.

In order to maximize those pitches, why not sandwich him between two All-Stars in Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, giving Sanchez an abundance of pitches he could handle. This strategy is nothing new, as in 2019 Sanchez had his best at-bats from that three-spot, hitting .270 with 12 home runs and 24 RBIs.

If you follow Sanchez on social media you have seen several workout videos with him saying he will be ready for the season, whenever that may be. If the Dominican Republic native comes into the season with a chip on his shoulder and a clean slate, he could be in store for a huge season batting behind Judge in the third spot.

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.