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Yankees Head Into Halfway Mark Getting Supporting Production From Younger Players
Yankees Head Into Halfway Mark Getting Supporting Production From Younger Players

Forbes

timea day ago

  • Sport
  • Forbes

Yankees Head Into Halfway Mark Getting Supporting Production From Younger Players

New York Yankees' Jasson Domínguez reacts after hitting a home run during the ninth inning of a ... More baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) The Yankees will play their 81st game Friday and depending on the outcome they will be mathematically on pace for 92 or 94 wins. The mathematically halfway point gives some kind of idea of how things might shake out for a team barring something drastic and the Yankees are on pace to be about the same team they were last season, just with some more contributions from younger players. Last season, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells got a combined 1,103 plate appearances. While Oswaldo Cabrera got 326 plate appearances as a utility type, the Yankees did not have a full season from Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr and Jasson Dominguez, a trio who combined for 436 plate appearances due to various circumstances. Rice played the most out of the trio, getting into 50 games but hitting well under .200 after joining the team as an injury replacement for Anthony Rizzo. He hit three of his seven homers on July 7 against the Red Sox. Chisholm played in 46 games following his trade from the Marlins and did well, moving to third base and hitting .273 with 11 homers and 23 RBIs to go along with an .825 OPS. Dominguez got into 18 games after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and his elbow and spent part of his second taste of the majors as a novice left fielder. This year, the Yankees enter their 81st game at 46-34. They were once seven games up in the AL East but the lead is down to a half-game. Even with the Yankees going 11-14 in the past 25 games, it is hard to ignore some of the contributions from the fairly youngish trio. Through the first 80 games, Rice, Dominguez and Chisholm combined for 722 playe appearances, a figure that would be higher if not for Chisholm missing a month with an oblique injury. While each player produced cold streaks at times, they are giving the Yankees enough contributions. The Yankees loved Rice's exit velocity throughout spring training and anointed hm into the DH mix when Giancarlo Stanton went down with tendon issues in both elbows. Rice enters the finale of the first half hitting .238 with an .814 OPS and 14 homers, third-most on the team, though eight were hit in the first month when Rice batted .266. Rice also is the owner of the Yankees' third-best average exit velocity at 93.3 only behind people you'd expect in Aaron Judge and Stanton. Rice's hard-hit percentage of 54.6 is right ahead of Judge for the second-highest though they might engage in a race about who hits the ball hardest all season. Chisholm showed his streakiness early, hitting .310 through the first week of the season. When he got hurt, the average was down to .181 but since returning he is batting .329. As for some of the advanced metrics, Chisholm is averaging 88.9 on exit velocities, which is in line with his previous seasons. He also is producing a hard hit percentage of 43.3, second in his second career behind the 46.7 percent in 2022. Dominguez has been on the Yankee radar ever since he signed as an international free agent in July 2019, a period so long ago, it was a few days removed from the Brooklyn Nets signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Dominguez rose to the point of earning a callup in Sept. 2023 and homered in his debut at Houston. He hit four homers in eight games before getting hurt and the Yankees waited through most of last season for his injuries to heal before bringing him up. Like many young players, Dominguez is battling with inconsistencies. His average is up to .253 after a four-hit night on Wednesday and his past 41 games have shown improvement. After hitting .228 with two homers and 12 RBIs in the first 26 games, Dominguez is batting a more than acceptable .272 (34-for-125) with four homers and 15 RBIs to go along with nine steals. Most of Dominguez's production is from the left side against right-handed pitching. In 147 at-bats, he is a .279 with five homers, including a walk-off on May 21 as compared to a .200 hitter in 70 at-bats from the right side of the plate. The trio of young supporting players still has a ways to go and with the Yankees there always is the question of performing in the postseason but in the meantime the AL East leaders are enjoying enough productive at-bats.

Why the Yankees are finally ready for the Ben Rice experiment at catcher
Why the Yankees are finally ready for the Ben Rice experiment at catcher

New York Times

time18-06-2025

  • Sport
  • New York Times

Why the Yankees are finally ready for the Ben Rice experiment at catcher

NEW YORK — Few outside of the New York Yankees organization believed Austin Wells would stick as an everyday catcher, but he's shown plenty of ability behind the plate to go with his powerful left-handed bat over the last couple of years. Many scratched their heads when the Yankees hinted their plan this season was to pair Wells with first-time big leaguer J.C. Escarra, then 29 years old, as his backup. But Escarra, a converted first baseman, has been solid overall and even slightly better than Wells in pitch framing. Advertisement Soon, the Yankees plan to hatch another experiment, giving starts at catcher to Ben Rice. With the return of Giancarlo Stanton, there will be fewer at-bats available for Rice at designated hitter, and Paul Goldschmidt's strong start and veteran status mean there's less time available to Rice at first base. Rice won't be unseating Wells anytime soon. But if the 25-year-old lefty slugger can make the Yankees comfortable with his presence behind the plate, it could make their lineup more potent, more often. They believe he's ready for the challenge. 'I think this guy's a major-league catcher,' catching coordinator Tanner Swanson said Tuesday before the Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Angels, 4-0, and extended their scoreless drought to 29 innings. 'I've said that many times. If he were to get regular reps, I think the rest of the world would see that as well.' Rice can't wait. 'I love to catch,' he said. 'It's natural to me.' Manager Aaron Boone said he didn't have a plan for when Rice would get his first start at catcher, but it's clear the Yankees want him ready. On Tuesday, Rice caught closer Luke Weaver's live batting practice as the righty recovers from a left hamstring strain. In pinstriped pants and a T-shirt, Rice called pitches and framed them against a crew of Yankees backup bats, treating it like it was a real game. 'I'm as prepared as you could be,' Rice said. Questions remain, though. Will Rice defy expectations like Wells and Escarra? Rice came up through the minors as a catcher with questions about his defense. His bat helped him take over at first base for a stretch last season with Anthony Rizzo on the injured list, but during his rookie year, he spent just an inning at catcher in the majors. This season, the Yankees have used Rice at catcher five times — all late in blowouts. Advertisement If you want to know what the Yankees think of a player, watch how they use him, and how often. But soon they will get a chance to show that their belief in Rice isn't lip service. Swanson said Rice is 'a guy we believe in at that position.' The Dartmouth graduate has been a constant in the Yankees' pregame starting pitcher meetings and in series advance meetings with relievers. He catches bullpens and often works on his blocking and throwing despite playing mostly DH (43 starts) and first base (11 starts). 'He's come a long way,' said Swanson, 'a guy we think is really skilled (but) hasn't really had an opportunity or lane here given the personnel we have currently. He's been working diligently behind the scenes just to kind of stay sharp.' Another question is how soon Rice would be ready to catch a full game. He hasn't done that since Sept. 21, when he was with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Swanson called it a 'unique' situation since traditionally, catchers build up their stamina during spring training or in the minors. 'I don't know if we have a playbook for how to go volume in-season at the MLB level,' the coach said, adding that the Yankees would monitor Rice's health along the way. 'I think I'd survive,' Rice said. Turning Rice into a regular catching option also opens potential trade possibilities for the Yankees. They could look to deal Escarra, who entered Tuesday ranked seventh in the majors in catcher framing runs (three) despite having caught just 502 pitches, according to Statcast. For comparison, Wells had caught three times as many pitches (1,538) and registered four catcher framing runs. Escarra also has essentially a league-average bat (96 OPS+) this season. 'I think (Escarra) would start for a lot of other teams in this league,' Swanson said. 'We think he's that skilled.' Advertisement Offensively, Rice started the season hot. Through May 11, Rice was hitting .260 with nine home runs and a .937 OPS. Since then, his stats have taken a nosedive. In 27 games before Tuesday, he hit just .187 with three homers and a .534 OPS. But there's plenty of reason for optimism. Rice has been one of the most unlucky hitters in the majors this season regarding his quality of contact. His expected weighted on-base average was .401 compared to his actual on-base percentage of .336 — a 65 percentage point difference, the eighth-widest gap in the majors. The Yankees are about to find out if Rice is ready. 'We've asked him to do a lot of things and he's handled it extremely well,' Swanson said. (Top photo of Ben Rice and Tim Hill: Ed Zurga / Associated Press)

Weaver (hamstring) nears Yankees return with simulated game
Weaver (hamstring) nears Yankees return with simulated game

Yahoo

time17-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Weaver (hamstring) nears Yankees return with simulated game

New York Yankees' Devin Williams pitches during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) New York Yankees pitcher Devin Williams celebrates with catcher Austin Wells after a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, June 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver reacts after getting Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman for the final out of a baseball game Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver reacts after getting Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman for the final out of a baseball game Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) New York Yankees' Devin Williams pitches during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) New York Yankees pitcher Devin Williams celebrates with catcher Austin Wells after a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, June 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver reacts after getting Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman for the final out of a baseball game Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees reliever Luke Weaver threw a simulated game Tuesday afternoon and is getting closer to rejoining New York's bullpen. Weaver, who strained his left hamstring June 1 while warming up at Dodger Stadium, faced teammates J.C. Escarra and Oswald Peraza before the Yankees played the Los Angeles Angels. Advertisement 'Kind of simulated four outs,' manager Aaron Boone said. 'He looked great. He really looks good.' The team initially expected Weaver to miss four to six weeks, but the right-hander said any pain in the hamstring disappeared within days of the injury. He had three side sessions before Tuesday's simulated game. 'Obviously we passed the activation date, but we want to be smart and make sure the recovery is going well,' Weaver said. 'Today was the biggest step thus far and I feel really good. So I'll definitely advocate to tell them how I'm feeling.' Weaver's return will give the Yankees two legitimate ninth-inning options. He has a 1.05 ERA this season and emerged as New York's closer by converting six saves in seven chances after Devin Williams posted an 11.25 ERA in his first 10 appearances. Advertisement Williams, however, has a 2.90 ERA in his last 20 games and has converted all four save opportunities this month. 'I haven't gone into that full-bore yet,' Boone said. 'Filing that under a good problem to have. Love the way Devin's throwing the ball right now. Just looking forward to getting another hammer back in Weave." ___ AP MLB:

Yankees' Austin Wells has big four-RBI night — but still falters in key spot
Yankees' Austin Wells has big four-RBI night — but still falters in key spot

Yahoo

time14-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Yankees' Austin Wells has big four-RBI night — but still falters in key spot

Austin Wells homered for the Yankees on Saturday, but he still struck out in a key spot. Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free This year has mostly been a struggle for Austin Wells, who began to live up to his promise last season before falling in the latter part of the year. Advertisement And even on a night when the catcher had perhaps his most productive night of the year, it ended in disappointment in a 10-7 loss to Boston. After Wells kept the Yankees in the game with a three-run homer and an RBI double off tough left-hander Garrett Crochet earlier in the game, the lefty-swinging Wells came up short with a chance to tie it in the bottom of the eighth, when he struck out against former Yankee southpaw Justin Wilson, stranding pinch runner Anthony Volpe at second base to end the inning. Austin Wells rounds the bases after hitting a three-run homer during the second inning of the Yankees' 10-7 loss to the Red Sox on June 7, 2025. Robert Sabo for the NY Post Still, maybe his success against Crochet will spark the lefty-swinging catcher. 'I expect so much of him offensively and think so much of him offensively,' Aaron Boone said. 'He's capable of that right there against the very best left-on-left.' Advertisement Wells gave the Yankees their lone lead of the night with a three-run blast off Crochet — who had allowed just one homer to a left-handed hitter all season prior to Saturday night. Austin Wells reacts after striking out in the eighth inning of the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST But Wells couldn't coerce another solid start from Ryan Yarbrough, who has been a surprisingly strong revelation since arriving in spring training after opting out of his deal with the Blue Jays in March. After Yarbrough was knocked around for five runs in the top of the third and two more in the fourth, Wells tried to get the Yankees back in the game in the bottom of the fourth, this time with a booming double the other way to left-center. Advertisement It came again off Crochet, who had also given up only one double to lefties all year. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS Austin Wells celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for the NY Post 'I got two pitches to handle,'' said Wells, who is hitting the ball harder than he has previously in his career, but doesn't have a lot to show for it. Although he has 10 homers, his average has hovered slightly above .200 for most of the season. With Carlos Narváez in town with the Red Sox after being traded by the Yankees in the offseason and off to a start that has put him in the conversation for the American League All-Star team, Wells' shaky offensive output has been highlighted more of late. The Yankees are steadfast in their belief that Wells will live up to his potential on offense, as he has continued to impress behind the plate. 'Hopefully it's those little things that kind of get him rolling to where he gets hot,'' Boone said of Wells' at-bats on Saturday.

Yankees recall right-handed reliever Scott Effross from Triple-A
Yankees recall right-handed reliever Scott Effross from Triple-A

Washington Post

time13-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Washington Post

Yankees recall right-handed reliever Scott Effross from Triple-A

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The New York Yankees recalled right-handed relief pitcher Scott Effross from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ahead of Thursday night's game against the Kansas City Royals. The 31-year-old Effross was 2-1 with a 9.00 ERA in nine games, including one start, at three levels in the Yankees' farm system this season. 'He's built up a little bit,' manager Aaron Boone said. 'There are a couple of guys who would be in play, too, but aren't lined up today to give us some length. He can give us some length.' Following Wednesday's game, the Yankees optioned left-hander Brent Headrick to Triple-A. They also released lefty Brandon Leibrandt, who signed with the CTBC Brothers Baseball Club in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. New York outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Austin Wells were not in the starting lineup Thursday due to scheduled days off. Both players were available to pinch hit. ___ This story corrects Aaron Boone's first name. ___ AP MLB:

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