SPANISH HARELM – The New York Yankees have one of the worst offenses in baseball and while they have come around a bit the last few days, most will get that feeling that this won’t last. We have seen this group have their moments in the sun but they come few and far between. With that, below are some ideas on how to change. Also below are some thoughts on how to make the New York Knicks better via the upcoming NBA Draft.
New York Yankees
When you look up and down their lineup, only one player is having a good season: Aaron Judge… Giancarlo Stanton had a two-week span when nobody could get him out, yet that didn’t last because, as always, he got injured… DJ LeMahieu has not looked like his normal self but he is the best overall hitter on the team. You want those guys in the top of the order but I don’t think the people upstairs have constructed the best possible lineup for this group. Yeah, some key players are hurt right now, so I will deal with the personnel available.
One thing you must never have is Stanton and Judge hitting back-to-back. They are the same type of hitter. Judge will certainly walk more than Stanton but they both strike out a ton, which can kill a rally quickly. They have stayed with LeMahieu batting first and I have no problem with that but why was Gio Urshela batting 4th? In my eyes he is the best suited to bat 3rd because of his ability to fight good pitches off and make contact. Judge should stay batting 2nd because he draws walks and Stanton should always be your 4th hitter. I still believe in Gleyber Torres and while he has altered his swing to get more balls in the air, he can be a very good hitter when he is on, so he is best at the 5th hole with Miguel Andujar as 6th and that’s where I will leave it. 7 to 9 can be used however they like because its good to get runs from the lower half of the lineup but its not something you bet on every game.
New York Knicks
If there is something that was a glaring weakness for the Knicks in the playoffs, it was that they had only two players who could create their shot shot. Julius Randle was taken out of the game by Atlanta Hawks, which put all the burden on Derek Rose to create and score. Look for Leon Rose & Co to look for guys in the draft that can beat people off the dribble. Specifically swing and wing guys that can help space the floor with their ability to brake down the defense and shoot from deep. I won’t sit here and tell you who those players are in college that best fit the system but I fully expect their talent evaluators to find those guys that make the Knicks harder to defend.
That’s it for now, come back tomorrow. Until next time…
