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Should the Yankees turn to Chris Young

It’s still early in the 2015 season and any look at statistics has to be done with the caveat of considering it is from a small sample size. This could be thought to be the case when considering the right field situation for the Yankees. Carlos Beltran is off to a horrible start with a slash line of .156.176.250. The typical thought is that he is a veteran and he will turn it around, just give him time. But, with Chris Young‘s bat being one of the hottest on the roster at the moment, it might be time to look at things a little closer.

The 37-year-old Beltran came to the Yankees on a 3 year free agent deal before the 2014 season. Known as a pure hitter with good power and great postseason numbers, he struggled with injuries last season and limped in with a line of .228.292.391. Put his regular season numbers with the Yankees together with a less than stellar Spring Training and you suddenly get rid of the exclusion of being from a small sample size.

The Yankees added Chris Young late in the 2014 season after being released by the Mets. He known mainly for his speed and defense. His offensive numbers suffered from poor strikeout and walk rates. He is off to a hot start this April after a great Spring Training with a slash line of .333.400.778. Since joining the Yankees last September, he has hit to the tune of .292.364.573 with 5 HRs and 14 RBIs. This is over 99 plate appearances which by no means is a large sample size, but is definitely a solid trend.

Beltran could be used in the DH slot, but Alex Rodriguez has that pretty much locked up after getting off to a solid start. It’s not time to throw in the towel on Beltran, but given that he is nearly 38, has been injured and unproductive, his veteran status shouldn’t automatically mean that he gets trotted out every day. The Yankees are locked into his $15 million contract through 2016, but if he continues to struggle in 2015, will he be able to fend off Young and a host of prospects in AA and AAA by this time next year?

The Yankees have always been one of the slower teams to come around to the idea of benching an aging veteran and by no means would it be necessary to give Young the full time right field job. But, he obviously has the hot bat right now and there is no doubt that he plays a better brand of defense than Beltran. Even if Young is in the middle of a streak that will flame out during the season, it is time for Joe Girardi to ride that streak and see what kind of boost Young can give the offense. Young’s flexibility to be able to play all three outfield positions was thought to be his biggest attribute, but with his added offense, he becomes much more valuable. With Brett Gardner set to return to the lineup on Friday, will we see Young’s name penciled into right field regularly? How about it Yankee Faithful, what do you think about it?