SPANISH HARLEM – We are six games into the MLB season and there are already a ton of things to write about. I don’t want to put everything on the table right now, A) because there is stuff I feel need more time to evaluate and B) I have to leave more to write about in the future. Now, let’s move into the more pressing things on my mind.
Aaron Hicks
I didn’t like Hicks hitting 3rd in the lineup during the playoffs last season and I definitely still don’t like it now. Aaron Boone has stated he likes a lefty hitter in the middle of the batting order but he is not the right person to have in between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton (Wow! That’s a lot of Aarons!) Hicks is someone that gets on base but that mainly comes via the walk, as he has a low batting average year in and year out. He is also a guy that strikes out a lot and that makes him the worst person after Judge and before Stanton, who are also strikeout-prone.
I made a comment about Hicks not too long ago on Twitter when the Yankees account showed the starting lineup before the 1st game of the season. Little did I know, a bunch of people chimed in mostly on my side but there was one comment that caught my eye. Someone wrote that Hicks had a better average with runners in scoring position than DJ LaMahieu. I didn’t check the numbers but it had to be right if someone was using that to show that Hicks was a better hitter than thought. I still don’t like it and I still would rather have LaMahieu up with runners on base than Hicks.
Gerrit Cole
It still doesn’t feel real at times. I’m not used to having one of best pitchers in baseball on the Yankees. I know it may feel like old or like nothing new for Mets fans and Jacob deGrom but I can’t remember a time when this team had a pitcher in prime, who is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. I know we had Roger Clemens and he was good but he was old and on steroids. Andy Pettitte was great to watch but he made his name in the postseason. David Cone was another one we got as he was older but Cole is very much in his prime. Watching him take the mound and go about his day is worth the price of admission. Hopefully, I get to see him in person one day.
That it for now, Come back tomorrow for Cam James, who has been skirting his responsibilities here.
Until Next Time….
