A problem brewing in the Bronx is exacerbated by Giancarlo Stanton straining his hamstring rounding the bases. Suddenly, the behemoth New York Yankees lineup has become a wing and a prayer after Anthony Volpe, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge in the lineup. Despite the Yankees having the best record in the game, their infield struggles from everyone not named Volpe have continued to raise eyebrows. With DJ LeMahieu not having an extra-base hit this season and Gleyber Torres‘s spectacular regression in every facet of the game, the Yankees have an infield problem.
Yankees Have An Infield Problem
They also have a problem with Jose Trevino Catching due to allowing 9 stolen bases against the Red Sox in one game, a franchise record. Teams have started to run on him for fun since then, and it’s putting the Yankees in a hole.
Gleyber Torres’ half-hearted effort, allowing a routine groundball, with the infield in, go under his glove and put the opening game of the Subway Series beyond reach. An Aaron Judge grand slam could not compensate for the Torres-induced deficit. Judge continues to put up video game numbers, but he needs better help. Let’s look at this infield issue.
Who’s On First?
Before Anthony Rizzo went on the IL, he was having a career-worst season. Such a highly decorated player, key to the middle of the lineup and excellently defensively, has regressed to the point that he was among the bottom 10 active players in Baseball. Rizzo had a WRC+ of 10, which is 90% lower than the average for a big leaguer.
Prior to going down, Rizzo had a negative WAR of -0.5, a career low, and a -13 RAA (Runs Above Average). All across the board, he was producing career-worst numbers. He was producing numbers significantly worse than the replacement level, for instance, a -4 RAR (runs above replacement level).
To address his injury for the foreseeable, the Yanks’ called up Ben Rice. The converted catcher was crushing it in the minors. Ben Rice is turning a lot of heads early with a solid start batting .316 with an OPS+ of 104. He should command the majority of the reps at first. Also, making a small trade for the DFA’d JD Davis, once of the Mets. JD Davis is coming off a solid season in San Francisco last year before going to the A’s. This should be a reasonably astute trade to get the team to the deadline.
The Gleyber Problem
Arguably, the biggest issue is Gleyber. This is his contract year, and he’s put the Yanks in a very tough spot. He is a confounding player to evaluate. He oozes ability. On his best day, he’s arguably the best second baseman in the American League. He has a very good range for his position, so he can make difficult plays look easy. Conversely, due to his nonchalant attitude, he makes the easiest plays look difficult.
Offensively, he can hit for power and average. He hit 38 home runs in 2019 and is coming off a solid season last year with 25 home runs and an OPS of .800, considered excellent.
However, his regressions this year put the Yankees in a tough position: whether to consider moving on from him or trying to generate better performances. They don’t have an alternative on the bench or in the minors other than trying to draw blood from this proverbial stone.
The Yankees have an infield problem, especially a Gleyber problem. He leads the American League with 12 errors, is second worst in baseball for a position player, and is the worst among second basemen by a margin.
Last night, Aaron Boone defended Gleyber’s defense in the Yes Network post-game, saying, ‘No one mentions the good plays he makes.’ An eyebrow-raising comment due to his negative DWAR of -0.1, leading the AL in errors. What platitudes does he expect exactly? There is standing up for his player, which is good, but there’s defending the indefensible, which that comment borders on.
Offensively, he’s not much better. His .215 BA is 50 points off his career average. Just 7 home runs approaching midseason is disastrous. He’s on pace for career lows in every major category: OBP, SLG, OPS, BA. Also, he is on pace to double his strikeout total from last year.
At this stage, Torres would benefit from sitting for a week and working on his swing in the cages. They need some semblance of productivity from Torres, but his attitude and this current version are massive issues.
Yankees Have An Infield Problem- DJ And Third Base
DJ LeMahieu doesn’t have an extra-base hit this year. 81 plate appearances without a single extra-base hit are shocking for the former 2x Batting Champion and former MVP candidate. An argument could be made that he was rushed back too soon from the injury that cost him his Spring and early season. However, when your last multi-hit game and extra-base hit was last season, there’s a problem. As a position, the Yankees have the 4th worst OPS in the majors from Third. Furthermore, with Torres giving the team the 5th worst OPS at Second Base, the Yankees have an infield problem.
DJ no longer is an everyday player. His glove is still valuable, and he can play three positions in the infield at a high level, but offensively, at 35 years old and lumbered by lower-half injuries, it looks like the writing is on the wall for him. It’s hard to imagine he’s as bad as this, however. To go from one of the feared contact hitters in the game to league-worst in just a few seasons makes me think he’s still recovering from injury. Yet, at the mid-season mark, how long can they realistically wait for his bat to come around?
The Orioles are hot on their heels, and it’s a must-win year due to Juan Soto testing free agency this offseason. The Yankees can’t afford to wait around.
Addressing The Infield Problem
GM Brian Cashman will almost certainly be working on the phones and trying to upgrade at third base before the trade deadline. If they can upgrade at third, it will allow DJ to move to a utility role, which suits him better at this stage. There isn’t a scenario that justifies bringing Gleyber back next year, so perhaps Torres is moved at the deadline, too. Although his value in a walk year is low, providing league-worst numbers makes his trade value very low.
There is a real lack of options at Second in the minors. Jorbit Vivas is the best option to replace Torres, but he’s not ready yet. Oswald Peraza is struggling to hit in AAA, and the Yankees have soured on him despite him once being one of their top prospects. Peraza has an excellent glove, and Torres is striking out 23% of the time. Can he really be much worse at this stage?
Then there’s first base. Anthony Rizzo is hurt until around August, and due to his massive struggles, his option might not be picked up next year. The Yankees don’t have a ready-made first baseman next year on the books. Star Prospect Spencer Jones is better suited for Center Field due to his speed and range.
At the moment, Ben Rice continues to progress, although he’s also a very good catcher, which is his natural position. In the minors, TJ Rumfield is hitting very well; perhaps he’ll be given an opportunity at some point. Cashman may look at first base at the deadline. One thing is certain: it’s non-negotiable that one of the corner infield spots must be upgraded at the deadline.
Judge and Soto are holding up their end of the bargain. Judge is on pace to match or break his own AL home run record of 62, but it will be wasted without better production from three spots in their infield. The Yankees have an infield problem that must be addressed.
Main Photo Credits: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
