Drury on Yank potential: You ain’t seen nothing yet

TAMPA — The Yankees believe Brandon Drury is capable of more than he’s shown. Drury does, too. “I don’t feel like I’ve done anything like I’m capable of the last couple years. They’ve been kind of a grind,” Drury said Thursday after his first spring practice with his new team. “The numbers have been OK, but I don’t think those last two seasons are half the player I am. I truly don’t believe that. But I have to go out and do it.”

Drury was dealt to the Bombers in a three-way deal on Tuesday night. It just so happened to be to his favorite team growing up.

“To come play for the Yankees is a dream come true,” said Drury, who hails from Oregon. “As a little kid, they were the team I watched. To be here is unbelievable.”

Drury and the Yankees have the same aspirations for 2018.

“I want to win a World Series, that’s the goal here and we’ve got the guys to do it,” Drury said. “So to join a group of guys like this, it’s special to me.”

Drury, who had heard rumors of a deal to New York all winter, is looking forward to moving back to third base, where he played the majority of his baseball career before being moved to second in 2017 to accommodate Arizona’s emerging star, Jake Lamb. Brian Cashman said on Wednesday that Drury is the favorite to win the starting job at third, but he’s also got to take it.

“That’s my natural position,” said Drury, who is capable of playing a variety of positions. “It’s what I played throughout the minor-leagues. They moved me to second base to get at-bats there. It was my first time playing a full season there, and it was alright. I’m much more happy at third.” Drury described his playing style. “I’m coming after you. I’m here to win. I’m going to be prepared every single day, and I’m going to give it all I got to help this team win a championship,” he said. Drury has hit 29 homers the last two seasons combined, but worked with hitting gurus Craig Wallenbrock and Robert Van Scoyoc this offseason out in Los Angeles on trying to generate more power through the air.

Drury’s former teammate J.D. Martinez, now with the Red Sox, has also worked with the duo.

With added strength and better hitting mechanics, Drury is hoping to turn 10-15 of the 37 doubles he hit in 2017 into homers.

Team officials believe his right-centerfield approach is built for Yankee Stadium. Drury said there are plans to talk with Yankees analytics staffers in the coming days about his hitting approach.

Drury, who is under team control for the next four seasons, said his new teammates have been welcoming, and he feels at home after just a day in Tampa. Now, he’s going to be hitting in the same lineup as Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.

“I think everybody was like, ‘Wow, that’s the best lineup in baseball, easy,’” Drury said.