#NextManUp: The 2019 Yankees have been a joy to watch
The
2019 New York Yankees have been riddled with injuries from the beginning of the
season. That statement is no
exaggeration.
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| Photo Credit: Getty Images |
Before
the season even officially began, Didi Gregorius found himself on the Injured
List after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Giancarlo Stanton’s first injury of 2019 came
in the form of a biceps injury, then a shoulder injury, then a calf injury and
finally, a knee sprain during one of the nine games he played throughout the season. Fans looked forward to
the return of Miguel Andjuar, only to have him sidelined with a labrum injury
from May 21 onward. Aaron Hicks didn’t
make his 2019 season debut until May 19 thanks to an injury to his back. And mostly everyone forgot about the likes of
Ben Heller and… dare I say it… Jacoby Ellsbury. Oh, and Greg Bird finding himself injured once
again, seemingly eliminating any battle for the job at first base between him
and Luke Voit.
While us fans were pretty anxious about this laundry list of injuries, the Yankees
found solutions from the near get-go.
While the first month or so of the 2019 season was a bit rougher than
anyone would have hoped, it wasn’t a terribly lengthy rough patch. By May, they found themselves in first place in the American League East.
Gio
Urshela came up to replace Andjuar at third base, and he proved to be an
upgrade from the defensive side right away.
At the plate, Urshela stepped right up, and wowed… well, everyone. As of September 28, he’s logged 21 home runs
and is batting .316. Gleyber Torres took
over at shortstop for Gregorius. While
Torres’ accomplishments didn’t come as a surprise to the same extent that
Urshela’s did, the talks about the number of home runs he blasted out of the
park, at age 22, did not stop all season long (with 38 of them recorded, to be
exact, as of September 28). Of course,
DJ LeMahieu took over at 2B when Torres had his work cut out for him at
shortstop, and no elaboration is even necessary for the AL MVP hopeful. Mike Ford’s performance at first base also
came as a surprise from the minor leagues.
As
far as Hicks and Stanton, Brett Gardner stepped up his game both in the
outfield and at the plate. Cameron
Maybin was an excellent acquisition by Brian Cashman (for his
fielding, his offense and yes, his hugs). Mike Tauchman, made a fantastic showing as one
of the “next men up.” And, one of the surprises of the season didn’t come from
a Triple-A hopeful who had no choice but to come up to The Show; it came from
the team veteran in the outfield. Brett
Gardner logged his career-high home run record with 28 as of September 28, and (knock on wood) has had just a brief ten-day stint on the IL for a knee issue in July.
The
season-opening injuries didn’t end with offensive players; Luis Severino came
down with a rotator cuff injury during spring training, leaving him to not
pitch a regular-season game until September.
Jordan Montgomery was recovering from his own Tommy John to the point
that he wasn’t even a thought for the starting rotation. Dellin Betances’ story is nearly too sad for
words, after rehabbing his right shoulder and strained lat only to make one
game appearance, in September -- which was followed-up by a partially-torn
Achilles tendon.
However,
this situation on the mound led Aaron Boone to have no choice but to rely on an
opener, even more than usual. Chad
Green, whose performance at the beginning season was abysmal enough to send him
back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, finally stepped it up in an opener role. While I hesitate to speak about Domingo
German right now, his accomplishments early in the season, growing into the
Yankees’ ace in Sevy’s absence, came before he was exposed as a potential domestic
abuser. Tommy Kahnle had a remarkable comeback
season, filling a similar role to Betances as a setup man (along with Zack
Britton) for Aroldis Chapman.
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| Photo Credit: Getty Images |
But… the injuries didn’t stop as the season went on. Gary Sanchez found himself on and off the IL three different times, leaving spots open for both Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka. Aaron Judge went on the IL in April for an oblique injury, and did not return until July. Hicks returned to the active roster after the All-Star break, only to be sidelined again in August. Tauchman, one of the “next men up,” has now found himself on the IL. Urshela has thankfully returned, but he spent more time injured as well. Edwin Encarnacion, another wonderful mid-season acquisition, was active… then injured… then active… then (and currently) injured again. But, Encarnacion’s injuries have left the 1B spot open for LeMahieu, and then, the DH spot open for Luke Voit (who has proven not to be a 2018 fluke).
Over
the course of what could have been a disastrous season for the Yankees, their “savage”
spirit rallied the “next man up” at nearly every turn. They clinched their division, they’ve avoided
the American League Wild Card game for the first time since 2012,
they’ve won over 100 games, they beat their team home run record (set
last year), and they’re currently in the lead for the MLB season home run
record. Even if they don’t advance past
the ALDS, they have much to celebrate; however, Yankees fans won’t remember
these statistics if World Series win #28 does not become a reality. 2019 will be just another “lost year,” and
will also be remembered as the year that marked “10 years since the Yankees won
it all.”
While
the critics are a reality of being part of the New York Yankees, and they won’t
be stopped by anything short of a World Series win, the 2019 series should go
down in history a bit differently than other seasons in recent years have. World Series victory or not, this team has
been fun -- and not just because
minor leaguers became near-superstars.
Gardy banging his bat was iconic.
Boone’s passion for defending his players was long overdue. The unlikely bonding between players, such as
FaceTime calls shared between CC Sabathia and Montgomery (as Montgomery
discussed in a recent interview on WFAN), boosts the morale of both the players
and the fans. Hicks’ extra-innings catch
back in August that robbed the Minnesota Twins of a win for the ages will
play on the highlight reels for years now.
Even if these Yankees don’t win it all, they’ll have won. Their camaraderie is exemplary.
Follow @BronxBomberBall
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