BABY BOMBERS WORTH CHECKING OUT
With so much of spring training being about players simply getting back into game shape and finding their timing in the batter’s box, it’s easy and advisable to ignore most of the action rather than painstakingly tracking every pitch.
But for the Yankees, there are a few things that should make this year’s stay in Florida worth monitoring, particularly as they pertain to the club’s long-term outlook.
VOLPE, DOMINGUEZ VS. MLB PITCHING
The future is now, at least partially. Both Anthony Volpe (the shortstop tasked with delivering the position from post-Jeter mediocrity) and Jasson Dominguez (the 20-year-old slugger built like a military tank) were given invitations to major-league spring training. For Dominguez, this will be his first, meaning he’ll get a look at MLB pitchers for the first time in an official game setting, even if it is a low-stakes environment.
Volpe has all of six career spring-training atbats and will be looking for his first Grapefruit League hit when he reports to camp this year. Last year, the New Jersey product drew very high praise from Aaron Boone in the back fields of Tampa.
“He’s just got a really good presence,” Boone said. “You can tell he loves the game and is invested in it and he reminds me of (Aaron) Judge a little bit, in that he’s dedicated to the finer-point things, the smaller things that sometimes are hard for guys, to really invest at a high level and he’s got that.”
Neither prospect is on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, and while Volpe has already tasted Triple-A and could make the final leap this year, both he and Dominguez will be sent to the minors when the season actually begins. How they fare against top pitching — and the Yankees should get them as many looks as possible at proven MLB’ers rather than sending them up to the plate against “just happy to be here” guys — is one of the things that will make this spring extremely interesting from a future-oriented perspective.
CAN PERAZA TAKE OVER SS?
Similarly, some of the questions about 22-year-old Oswald Peraza will soon get an early answer.
The regular season is, of course, what will determine Peraza’s true merits, but a strong start to the spring will certainly make the Yankees look more fearsome when it’s time for the real thing. Like with any shortstop, but especially one that plays for a team coming off nightmarish performances at the position, Peraza will be scrutinized just as much for his glove as he will for his bat. How he looks at the plate might not matter as much — he’ll be slotted in the bottom of the order anyway, so it’s not like he needs to hit .400 — but if he checks all the boxes defensively, Peraza should win the Opening Day shortstop job.
For the body language doctors, both those who will be attending spring training in-person and the ones making diagnoses while watching on TV, the kid’s confidence should be of high interest. The Yankees will want Peraza to look the part, taking command of the infield and warding off any of the mental demons that gave Isiah Kiner-Falefa trouble last season. If Peraza can do all that and show just enough offensive prowess to clear the very low bar set by IKF, the job is his.
FIFTH STARTER BATTLE
Clarke Schmidt vs. Domingo German stands to be the most contentious position battle of the Yankees’ spring.
Both pitchers have had somewhat tumultuous experiences as a Yankee, with the main difference being that German has gotten extended chances to prove himself as a starter while Schmidt has not. Frankie Montas’ injury means one of them will get one more chance, though, and that should be settled by how they pitch in the exhibition games.
If Schmidt loses the battle, he can begin the season at Triple-A, as he has one more minor-league option remaining. The 2017 first-round pick has already made 42 starts in the minors though, and the whole point of his season is figuring out if he can be part of an MLB staff.
If German loses the battle, he likely just starts the season in the bullpen, as he is out of minor-league options and can’t be stashed in Scranton like Schmidt can. Of course, the odd man out could also end up getting traded, so both guys are potentially pitching for their Yankee lives over the next two months.
THE 4TH OUTFIELDER BATTLE
In a less interesting battle, the Yankees will also be auditioning some people for the role of fourth outfielder.
Judge and Harrison Bader have right and center field on lock, respectively. Whether Yankee fans like it or not, and regardless of if he’ll be a starter or bench player, Aaron Hicks is going to make the 26-man roster as well. That leaves Oswaldo Cabrera (the overwhelming favorite) to beat out Estevan Florial and a gaggle of non-roster invitees. If Florial doesn’t do enough to make the team, the Yankees would have to either designate him for assignment or trade him by Opening Day since he is out of minor-league options.
Before immediately ruling them out, remember that last year Marwin Gonzalez broke camp with the big-league squad after beginning spring as an NRI. This year’s leading candidates to go from spring training afterthought to MLB depth piece are Willie Calhoun, Rafael Ortega, Michael Hermosillo and Billy McKinney. All four have fairly extensive MLB experience, with Calhoun and Ortega each enjoying very productive years not that long ago.
In 2019, Calhoun hit 21 homers with a .524 slugging percentage for the Rangers. Ortega was a big part of the Cubs for the last two seasons, appearing in 221 games, posting a 108 wRC+ and a healthy 10.6% walk rate. Now 31, Ortega hit .291 for the Cubs in 2021. Hermosillo has never put it together at the plate, but has the best speed of anyone in this bunch and is the only right-handed hitter, making him an intriguing one-for-one replacement for Tim Locastro if the Yankees choose to go that route.
ANY SIGNS OF LIFE?
Hicks, Kiner-Falefa, Josh Donaldson and Jonathan Loaisiga did not have a great time last year. Not that spring training is super indicative of what will happen in the regular season, but seeing some encouraging things from that group will surely make the Yankees feel better about the state of their roster. Each one will be asked to contribute in some way or another, particularly Loaisiga, who in 2021 was one of the very best relievers on the planet.