On Sunday afternoon, the New York Yankees finished the Grapefruit League with a 17-13 record. However, the Bronx Bombers have one final tuneup against the Atlanta Braves before Opening Day on Thursday. Before we close the door on Spring Training, let’s recap what we learned over the last six weeks.
Aaron Boone isn’t afraid to experiment
Imagine you’re a first-time driver and you’re immediately given the keys to your dream car. The same analogy could be used for first-time manager Aaron Boone. But instead of a car, he was given the keys to the Millenium Falcon. So when you’re handed the keys to a brand new car or ship, what’s the first thing you do? Simple: You take it for a test drive.
Boone took his essential Opening Day lineup for a test drive, and along the way he made some experimental changes. He had Aaron Judge bat leadoff while dropping Brett Gardner to the nine hole–which inadvertently caused controversy. He tried stacking Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, and Greg Bird together to create a power threat. And he gave players like Miguel Andujar, Tyler Wade, Tyler Austin, Gleyber Torres, and Billy McKinney a closer look.
It’s smart to experiment with the lineup in Spring Training, since managers can essentially figure out what works and what doesn’t. But it will be interesting to see which lineup experiments are implemented over the course of the regular season.
Not everyone made it out of Spring Training healthy
Having too many players is a good problem, at least in theory. But as Spring goes along, little inconveniences such as injuries tend to inadvertently shape the 25-man roster. Prior to Spring Training, the Yankees had the issue of too many outfielders competing for four spots. Unfortunately, injuries solved the outfield situation.
During the first week of Grapefruit League action, Clint Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury were bit by the injury bug; Frazier suffered a concussion, and Ellsbury suffered an oblique strain. Despite the small setback, the Yankees were able to stay healthy–at least until the last week of Spring Training. During a split-squad game, first baseman Greg Bird was lifted in the first inning with a foot injury. Bird was later diagnosed with foot inflammation.
Ideally, you want all of your players to get through the exhibition season in one piece. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way, and when injuries happen, managers are usually left scrambling for replacements.
There’s always a dark horse that makes the roster
Every year, there seems to be one player that emerges as the dark horse in a race to make the 25-man roster. In 2016, it was Kirby Yates after Bryan Mitchell fractured his toe in his final Spring outing. In 2017, it was Tommy Layne after dazzling hitters with a 1.42 ERA. This year, the dark horse was second baseman Tyler Wade.
Not only will Wade make the roster, but he’ll also start ahead of veterans Neil Walker, Brandon Drury, and utility man Ronald Torreyes. Wade had an impressive Spring Training, hitting .283/.404/.795, while earning a vote of confidence from Boone and Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
Now that Wade has a starting job, he has to fight to keep it. In 56 at-bats with the Yankees last season, Wade hit .155/.222/.446 with no homers and two RBI. So it will be up to Wade to prove he belongs at the Major League level.
