Constructing the perfect Yankees lineup for 2021 season

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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 08: Luke Voit #59 of the New York Yankees reacts after flying out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in Game Four of the American League Division Series at PETCO Park on October 08, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Batting Fourth: Luke Voit, 1B

The Yankees keep on mashing with 2020 HR leader Luke Voit.

My one demand about the powerful heart of the lineup: Break up Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, by any means necessary.

Luckily, those “means” just happened to lead the American League in dingers in 2020, uncorking an ungodly 22 in 56 games, battling “foot stuff” all the while, which he believes he has sorted out.

There are those among us who seem intent on trading Voit simply for the sake of burning things down and eventually, maybe, kind of, sort of finding the next…Luke Voit? Nah. He’s staying in our ideal Yankees lineup, and he’s quite likely staying in real life, too.

The safest bet in this theoretical lineup construction was that you would not find Josh Bell here.

Though Voit’s strikeout numbers aren’t exactly minuscule (he registered 142 in the 118-game sample he put forth in 2019, followed by 54 last season), he doesn’t exactly sell out to produce his power. Every Voit swing is at an 11-out-of-10, but there’s plenty of hard contact to be made here. We have no advice for the Yankees’ uncovered gem here. Keep doing what you’re doing.