Yankees: 3 players whose futures with NYY are doomed after shortened season

The 60-game season didn’t do anybody any favors, but these three Yankees are in trouble.

It certainly stinks, but the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic is going to force many teams to make decisions on players based on the 60-game sample size, which is barely over 1/3 of a regular campaign. Then again, everyone is facing these unfortunate circumstances, so the playing field was even for those battling for bigger roles/roster spots.

With all the depth the New York Yankees have, fans initially thought the Bombers would be able to weather the storm after what everyone saw them do in 2019 when they had a record-setting number of injuries. They still won 103 games and made it to the ALCS.

But in 2020? Hardly the same thing. After starting 16-6, injuries once again derailed the Yankees, but this time the depth did anything but step up to help get the team back on track. Now, the Yanks sit at 25-21 and are fighting for the last playoff spot in the AL.

And let’s just say these three guys may not have a prominent role (or a role at all!) by the start of the 2021 season.

3. Mike Ford

Mike Ford’s tremendous 2019 has been negated by his awful 2020.

When New Jersey native Mike Ford burst onto the scene last year filling in for the injured Luke Voit (among others), fans couldn’t have been happier. The hefty lefty was a treat with his sweet swing and power that was perfect for the short porch. He slashed an impressive .259/.350/.559 with 30 runs scored, 12 home runs and 25 RBI in 50 games.

Now, Ford is still getting a ton of playing time even with Voit completely healthy, but he’s failed to do anything with it. One could argue he’s the worst hitter on the team right now (at least Gary Sanchez has seven home runs!). Ford’s regressed to the man in a colossal way, slashing just .139/.222/.278 with five runs scored, two home runs and 11 RBI in 26 games.

He looks lost at the plate. Not only is he staring at strikes right down the pipe, but he’s indecisive. On top of that, he’s been making weak contact and is batting .105 with runners in scoring position (2-for-19).

Though he’s about halfway through his 2019 sample size, we highly doubt another 24 games will help him boost those numbers to something that at all resembles what he was able to do last year. Don’t expect Ford to maintain a role whether or not our top players are back and healthy in 2021.

1. Gary Sanchez

If this isn’t the end of the road for Gary Sanchez with the Yankees, we’d be surprised.

The 2016 and 2017 versions of Gary Sanchez made him one of the most beloved Yankees at the onset of his MLB career. His offensive production helped fans overlook his defensive woes, and if not for his rocket arm, he may not even be a serviceable starting catcher on any MLB team.

Then came the injuries and offensive regression. Gary has played in just 406 games since debuting in 2015 and, despite his 2019 All-Star campaign in which he cranked 34 homers in 106 games, he’s batted .200/.295/.453 since the start of 2018.

If that wasn’t enough to do him in, his playoff stats are even worse. Across 27 career postseason games, Sanchez is hitting .176/.225/.382 with 10 runs scored, 6 home runs and 16 RBI. Nobody’s asking him to hit .300 with a .900 OPS, but those struggles mirror his regular-season downfall.

The 2020 season is arguably his worst stretch of hitting, too. In 34 games, Sanchez is batting .121 (only 13 hits!) with a .557 OPS. His defense has improved, but there are still serious concerns in that department with passed balls and dropped pop ups. His body language has been poor, too, but it’s hard to blame him given what he’s going through.

Just imagine how much worse this would all be if he hadn’t hit that game-winning grand slam against the Mets.

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