Yankees’ Gio Urshela hitting absolute tanks in BP is a good sign

Alright, well, if the Yankees are going to keep Gio Urshela this offseason, can he at least agree to be awesome?

It’s agreed? We’re in agreement? Awesome, good talk.

Last season, Urshela fell victim to the inconsistent usage of the live “rocket” ball, among other things, but though his offensive performance waned, his dedication to the team never lapsed. We’ll never forget him going full Jeter in Game 162 against the Rays with a Wild Card berth on the line.

Facts are facts, though, and he didn’t hit well enough to justify being handed a starting spot entering 2022, especially with DJ LeMahieu displaced, Gleyber Torres reportedly sticking around, and the most glaring need of all time at shortstop.

Urshela can’t fill that role on an everyday basis, so it’s looking more and more like he’ll either be banished to the bench in the Bronx, or he’ll be traded to clear a logjam for Oswaldo Cabrera and a new addition.

Or, a third option: he starts at short on Opening Day and we all roll our eyes at the Yankees’ thriftiness.

Regardless of whether he’s kept or traded, it’ll certainly be easier to justify the decision if he’s hitting rockets, something he appeared to be doing in a personal BP sesh this week.

Yankees 3B Gio Urshela is hitting absolute tanks in BP

Was Urshela also hurt throughout all of 2021 like DJ LeMahieu, by any chance?

If not, can we all start telling ourselves that to feel better?

Urshela wasn’t quite as dreadful as we all felt he was last year. He was just perfectly average when the team needed him to produce runs with something approaching his 2019 level of consistency.

Urshela posted a 96 OPS+ with 14 homers, a .267 average, a subpar .301 OBP, and added just 0.6 WAR in a season where the team could’ve used a few more nuclear tanks in key situations. Though LeMahieu, three years older, was similarly disappointing relative to expectations, Urshela isn’t under contract for five more seasons, making him the potential odd man out this time around.

This will all be easier to settle if he starts raking. This team can’t afford to sacrifice offense, and Peak Urshela is probably worth more to the roster than getting Oswaldo Cabrera regular playing time.

Either that, or they opt to sacrifice it anyway, and are able to extract a little more in trade.

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