Yankees: 3 Players Who Could Struggle in Shortened Season

3. Gerrit Cole

The Yankees’ new ace may need a few starts before he feels comfortable.

Although every player will be faced with unfamiliar surroundings when the 2020 season begins, Gerrit Cole will also be debuting as the newest Yankees superstar. Like other big-name players on the move this offseason (Mookie Betts and Josh Donaldson), Cole will need a few games to become familiar with his new situation.

Remember C.C. Sabathia back in 2009? In his first start, the left-hander allowed six earned runs to the Baltimore Orioles. After a month in pinstripes, his 4.85 ERA in 39 innings was concerning.

Of course, things would turn around for Sabathia and he would become a staple in the rotation for a decade, but the early-season struggles were well-documented for the high-priced free agent.

Unfortunately for Cole, the shortened season will amplify his struggles. If he’s sitting with an ERA in the high-4s a month into the season, you can bet the Yankees fan base will be at DEFCON level 5. Let’s also not forget his wife, Amy, just gave birth to their first child, so Cole will (likely) be away from his son for most of the year. That could affect his mental state.

Statistically, Cole has proven to be a quick starter. In the months of March and April, he has a 2.85 ERA in 202.1 innings, with his second-best per month WHIP of 1.05. We’re sure hoping his penchant for pitching in high-stakes situations translates quickly, because every game matters.

2. Gary Sanchez

The start of a season, as well as the month of July, are when Sanchez struggles the most.

After a brutal postseason performance in 2019, the last thing Gary Sanchez needs is a rough 2020 season.

Sadly, Sanchez typically needs a month or so to get his feet under him. His career slash line for the months of March and April is a subpar .207/.276/.531. Of course, the cold weather can play a role for some players, but the warm weather of July hasn’t helped Sanchez throughout his career either.

During July, Sanchez’ career slash line is even worse, (.177/.226/.299) and considering he needs a chunk of at-bats to start moving in the right direction, it could be a few weeks before the slugging catcher can reach his previous All-Star form.

The addition of new catching coordinator Tanner Swanson will hopefully solve much of Sanchez’ issues behind the plate, but there could also be some growing pains as Sanchez learns new techniques, even with the extended break.

We broke down how the 60-game sprint could bode well for Sanchez, who exploded onto the scene late in the 2016 campaign, falling just short of the Rookie of the Year Award.

While Sanchez has proven he can go off for stretches in a full 162-game campaign, pitchers are well aware of Sanchez’ weaknesses, even with protection up and down the lineup.

The Kraken has been able to follow early spring struggles with scorching hot performances in the months of May and June in the past, but with each game growing in importance during this fragmented season, a potential slow start will be even more under a microscope.

1. Giancarlo Stanton

Pressure and health could hold Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton back in 2020.

After spending the last couple of months recovering from a calf injury, Giancarlo Stanton will enter the new campaign relatively healthy and ready for his 2020 redemption tour. Still, Stanton won’t exactly be at 100%. General manager Brian Cashman noted that Stanton is a DH candidate rather than an outfield option to begin the year.

Regardless of that, Stanton has been a slow starter at the plate for much of his career.

When looking at month-by-month career splits, the first month of the season is when Stanton is at his worst. He has the lowest OPS, home run and RBI total in March/April when compared to any other month.

In his first season in New York, Stanton exploded for a pair of home runs in his first game with the Yankees but fell off a cliff with his average hovering around .230 roughly 40 games into the season. While Stanton erupted to begin his 2017 MVP season, that hot start looks more like an anomaly when looking at the rest of his career.

He also enters 2020 with more pressure than any position player on the roster. While demanding Yankees fans may not be in the stands to let their voice be heard, Stanton’s career in pinstripes hasn’t gotten off to a great start.

In 2018, he was a disaster in the playoffs, posting a dreadful .444 OPS in the Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, managing just four hits, zero walks, zero extra-base hits and zero RBI.

In the following season, he played in just 18 regular-season games due to injury, which had fans wondering if the Yankees made the right decision to add his $300 million contract to the payroll.

With all of the pressure on his shoulders, lack of game reps for an entire year, and his tendency to begin the season slowly, Stanton is one of the top candidates on the Yankees to struggle in the 60-game sprint.