From Bryan Hoch:
Juan Soto makes little secret of his disdain for watching games from the bench. But when the outfielder’s bruised right hand still presented an issue in the hours before Sunday’s scheduled first pitch, the Yankees filled out their lineup card without his name.
Soto still had time to change minds, prompting a new batting order to be filed just minutes before game time. Soto ripped a 106.5 mph single in his first at-bat, Aaron Judge hit his Major League-leading 31st homer and the Yankees were off and rolling in an 8-1 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
I seriously wasn’t concerned about Gerrit Cole after his last terrible start, as he was pretty clearly still building his way up to being a normal starter (it’s debatable whether he should have been doing that in games that count in the standings, but whatever), but obviously, had he gotten his ass kicked again, I would have been concerned. Luckily, he was pretty much just good ol’ Gerrit Cole, just a little bit less so (as he clearly still IS getting built up).
It’s a shame that Cole will miss the All-Star Game. This will be his first time missing the All-Star Game in a non-COVID season since 2017.
In any event, besides Cole looking like himself, the HUGE news was that Juan Soto both played, and played well. Still, with the fact that his hand was still bothering him in the field, I have no idea why he couldn’t DH for just this one game.
Ben Rice continues to impress, but the shitty Yankee hitters like DJ, Gleyber, Verdugo, and Wells, showed something in this game, which was nice to see. You know me, I’ll be asking for DJ to lead off until the cows come home (or the Yankees acquire some amazing leadoff hitter), and DJ had a really nice looking double in this game. His OBP is pathetic because all he did was hit groundouts for most of his first month, but even with that, his pathetic OBP is rising, and I would not be surprised at all if he is soon the third-best OBP (well, maybe fourth best, as Rice has a very high OBP right now). Right now, that honor goes to Volpe at a pathetic .315 (and most of that was early in the season). Most of the other guys are around .300. DJ is at .286 (which, again, is pathetic, but it is rising).
LeMahieu 3B
Soto RF
Judge DH
Rice 1B
Volpe SS
Gleyber 2B
Verdugo LF
Wells C
Grisham CF
That’s a good use of everyone’s skills, I think. And when Grisham doesn’t play, you just start Davis at DH, and play Judge in center.
The featured image is Cole doing squats in the dugout to keep ready as the Yankees were hitting. It’s adorable.
Cole was the big thing. Whew!
Actually, Volpe’s had four streaks so far: hot, cold, hot cold. The first hot streak was hotter; the cold streaks were ice-cold. Hard to know where it’s leading, but I’d still bet for him long-term. It’s hard to watch right now, though.
I’m again not all that sold on DJLM. It’s good that it’s two more XBH in the last 2 games than in the entire year to that point. But I didn’t see a “really nice” double; I saw a not-particularly-hard-hit line drive that would have arced right to a fielder if it hadn’t been lucky enough to land RIGHT between 2 of them. Again, I’d rather you were right.
More hopeful right now for Rice. He’s walking, he’s not hitting only singles now, he seems to be at least a pretty good fielder, and he doesn’t seem at all like an idiot (or a baseball idiot, that’s really what I mean). I imagine there’s more power there, but, really, so far you have to be pretty happy!
The doubles by DJ were 97 and 93 respectively, so nothing crazy but not exactly lucky bloops.
i’m still pretty high on Wells, he seems to play smart baseball and i think the bat will come around. he’s two or three years younger than jorge was when he came up.
the rest of the clowns, don’t get me started. 2022 redux will continue until the rest of the lineup proves otherwise
The redux that gives us reflux.
As of now I’d say rice > JDD until proven otherwise. But since it’s the Yankees they will definitely use the veteran over the rookie because that’s just who they are.
I’ve been arguing this throughout the season: the only strategy that makes sense for them is to do the polar opposite. If they don’t have a star pinned down for that position, use a prospect. Anyone controlled and with upside. Don’t bother with gap-filling veterans, ever, ever – use that money for one more star – or for a big pick-up at a crucial moment if it puts you over the top.
Overall offensively Volpe this year is just OK, which is OK but considering what we’ve seen from him at times disappointing. This team needs a third offensive powerhouse. His OPS+ of 99 speaks for itself and OBP of 315 not what you want from someone hitting in front of the American League’s two best hitters. In contrast Gleyber has a career OBP of 331.
There’s a lot of talk of using Soto as the leadoff hitter. That seems to make a lot of sense considering his OBP of 437. I’m not sure I like the idea of him starting every game with no one on. Would Soto even want to lead off which might cut down on his RBIs? What does everyone think?
He’s ALREADY hitting in front of judge, so what’s the point of that? Having a high OBP guy in front of him – THAT I can understand. Having NO ONE in front of him makes much less sense to me.
When Volpe was hitting really well everyone was cynical about judging him after a hot streak. Now he’s slumping and we’re all too happy to say this is who he really is. Give the dude a chance! He’s spent half the season being a great leadoff hitter and SS. Maybe he’ll need to be moved in the lineup but I don’t think it has to happen yet.
I didn’t see much baseball this weekend, but I did catch both of DJ’s doubles, and on both I was astonished on how long it took him to get to second base.
Also, Gausman was totally spent when he gave up the double to DJ yesterday, there were at least two meatball, middle middle, not very fastballs that DJ foul tipped back to the catcher before he got a third grooved pitch to hit into the gap.
They pulled Gausman after that double, I think had anyone else in MLB other than DJ been hitting, they would have pulled Gausman before the AB.
Bat DJ in front of Soto or Judge. If they must play him, that is the way to go. Volpe, Soto, DJ, Judge?
What was the rush to bring Wells up at the beginning of the year?
Why was the choice not to just leave Wells in the minors until Rortvelt proved that he didn’t belong?
laugh / cry but higgy and rortverdt are both outperforming wells / trevino.
but i am still hopeful for wells, lots of hard hit balls didn’t fall in. its coming. i hope.
This is a case where I would have done what they did.
Wells has been both unlucky and probably not quite as good as he generally is. He’s been better and I still think it was the right decision.
There was and is NO reason to expect anything from Higgy. And Rortvedt is hardly a budding star you just had to give a chance – Wells, if anything, was probably closer (slightly) to that status.
Don’t see an issue here.
Oh, I agree they made the right call, it just sucks that Rortvedt is finally delivering on the promise he previously showed, while the guy they traded him for has been hurt most of the season. Higgy is 34 and just had a fluky power surge in June.
Yeah no issue with them going with Wells and Trevino. Rortvedt can’t stay healthy and will be be on the IL by August. Higgy was becoming slightly too expensive for a BUC and has never taken the next step despite plenty of opportunity. He is what he is.
trevino is also a BUC, we simply thought otherwise based on the wishcasting of a productive may and june 2022.
higgy caught stealing percentage 35% btw, league 22%. trevino -35% since the miscast balls result in so many extra bases.
i’ve looked at these numbers from both sides and you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.
Roderick Arias as some bad splits switch hitting. ****. vs. RHP: .213/.323/.396. vs. LHP: .192/.218/.192. Correct: All 23 extra-base hits have come against RHP. Will the Yankees have to eventually think about asking him to bat left-handed against everyone? Who knows? https://tomkosensky.com/2024/07/01/yankees-milb-7-1-roc-riggio-continues-hot-streak/
Brian, has you assessment of Blake changed at all over the last month?
Nope. I still think he’s amazing. You give a guy a pile of dogshit, you don’t complain that he only made SOME of the dogshit into delicious meals. You are thrilled with whatever he gets you.
You know which other C the Yankees let go? Gary Sanchez. Who after a nice year in SD in 2023 is back to negative WAR so far in 2024. Sad story for a guy who looked like a future HOFer in 2016-17.
All I know is I get forced into a bataan death march of a vacation with my girlfriend’s entire family and all the pitchers pumpkinize at the same time while they lose roughly 68 games to the miserable Jays.
There’s a lesson here, kids: Only date orphans.
The secret is to establish yourself as difficult right from the start then think what would Larry David do.
Lucky for me difficult and awkward are my natural positions.
Also helps if your girlfriend is separated from her husband and her parents adore her husband.
There have been a lot of Angel Hernandez/John Roberts comparisons in the twittersphere. Now since I spent the 70s smoking dope and playing poker I don’t feel qualified to have an opinion.
John Roberts the journalist? The Scottish football player? The actor? I hope you don’t mean the Supreme Court Justice because this isn’t the place for politics. Understanding that when you opine on politics with Yankee fans 50% will agree with you and 50% will think you’re an idiot.
Spencer Jones picked for All-Star Futures Game.
Vivas last 14 games 389/522/694 last 21 333/478/537
Seems to have some On Base skills
However Gil pitches tonight, it’s a big deal.
Have to go to bed, but here’s hoping it’s the right kind of big deal!