So far, baseball has taken massive blows in 2020. The sport has been stopped due the COVID-19 outbreak. As a DOMINO effect, the sport is in the process of a slow comeback because the players’ and the owner have yet to finalize a proposal that will work for both sides. The summary of my previous post is, they seem to be getting somewhere on reaching an agreement.
Baseball may or may not return, due to the spread it is taking upon the players. A decision has not officially been announced on if baseball will shutdown, until that happens, there is only one thing to talk about.
What can we make of the current Yankee state?
They have a lot of injuries, I can tell you that much. One positive thing that came out of the virus plagued season is, it has allowed the injured athletes to recuperate in quarantine. Quite frankly, that is probably the only good thing that this virus has allowed for.
If there is baseball in 2020-2021, I would like to think that the Yankees’ injury list will be almost depleted when the game returns to the field. If the baseball season will get underway soon, the New York Yankees figure to be healthier than if the season had started back on March 26th.
Per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, Aaron Hicks recently posted a video of himself taking batting practice at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa, Florida. I don’t know about you, but I am glad he is progressing well, because that means we 2 bats per one player. Also, he is an outstanding defensive athlete in the outfield.
With so many guys out due to injuries, it is good to know that at least our switching hitting-elite outfielder is progressing well from Tommy John surgery. Originally, because Hicks was deactivated in October due to the surgery, the Yankees believed he was going to miss eight to 10 months. According to Adam Wells of bleacherreport.com, “June marks the early end of that recovery time, though it’s unclear if Hicks has been medically cleared to play in games.”
At least Brian Cashman told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch in May that Hicks “…playing center field for the New York Yankees this summer is a legit option, as expected.”
Unfortunately, Hicks was among a group that no team wants to have in their organization, especially during spring training. Hicks was among several starting players that were injured during the offseason. Aaron Judge, James Paxton and Luis Severino rounded out that group.
Severino’s season is over after having his own Tommy John procedure on his right elbow in February. It sucks that a guy who was an ace for us has to await healing time, but I am not too worried about Sevy. I want believe he will be back to his ace-like self soon.
As far as other guys on the list, Cashman told Hoch in the same interview that, “Judge’s fractured rib should be healed by the time games begin…” The general manager of the Yankees seem to be optimistic about his right fielder’s progression. As a matter of fact, Cashman also told Hoch, “…Once we resume play, we’re excited to believe that he’s going to rejoin us at full capacity.”
We won’t have Sevy back for a while, but Paxton told YES Network in May he is “back to full strength” after undergoing surgery in his back to repair a herniated disk and remove a peridiscal cyst. With Cole in the ace spot as a righty, it will be key to having Big Maple back in the starting rotation. The big lefty should be a restored weapon in the rotation for the Yankees.
With guys like Hicks and Paxton making progress, the team’s World Series aspiration look very likely. It looks like we will have to wait quite awhile for that though.
There is also the matter of prospects. It will be a while before they get in on major league action. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, among other reporters, broke the news that the Yankees agreed to undrafted free agent signings with pitchers Carson Coleman, Ocean Gabonia, Trevor Holloway and Jarod Lessar.
By now, Yankee fans know that New York only had three draft picks because signing Gerrit Cole cost the team its second- and fifth-round choices.
By now, Yankee fans know the name, Austin Wells and he was the Yankees’ top choice at No. 28. Damon Oppenheimer, their lead scouting director, told YES Network’s Jack Curry that Wells has similarities to Joe Mauer. Oppenheimer said the following:
“I wish I could say yes, that there’s an exact player that he reminds me of. But it’s a little difficult because I’ve seen some Joe Mauer in this guy’s swing. I’ve seen some of that kind of pop at times. Just to say, ‘Yeah, he totally reminds me of somebody.’ I can’t really say that. That’s the swing he reminds me of….”
Adam Wells said, “If Wells turns into the hitter that Mauer was during his MLB career, the Yankees will have gotten the steal of the draft. Mauer, the No. 1 pick in the 2001 MLB draft, was a .306/.388/.439 career hitter and was named AL MVP in 2009.”
So for me, I can see the Yankees having a lot of success this season or whenever the world rebounds from all that is happening right now.
The Pinstriped Baseball Lane 