DETROIT — After getting “punched in the face” by the Orioles over the weekend, according to Aaron Judge, the Yankees open Tuesday as a .500 team with an offense that looks a lot like last year’s lineup — which isn’t a good thing.
Aaron Boone — and others within the organization — say the ugly start to the season from an offensive standpoint isn’t as bad as it seems.
So, to be fair, here’s some of what they’re likely looking at when they come to that conclusion:
According to Statcast, the Yankees entered Tuesday with the fourth-best expected slugging percentage (.498). They were second as a team in exit velocity (91.9 mph) and led the majors in barrel rate, a stat used to measure how hard balls are hit (12.5 percent).
They were middle of the pack, though, in batting average (.229), OBP (.311) and OPS (.677). And in an effort to be more aggressive, they had the second-worst chase rate at 31.7 percent.
Only the Diamondbacks and Orioles had scored fewer than the Yankees’ three runs per game.
Despite the evidence of the first 10 games of the season, Judge echoed Boone’s sentiment since the beginning of spring training that the lineup would end up being more productive than last season.
“Without a doubt,” Judge said after the team dropped two of three to the lowly Orioles.
Boone continued: “We’re made up differently. I’ll bet on the track record of a few of our guys. I believe there’s a good reason to think a couple of guys that had down years by their standards [in 2021], will return to what we expect.”
Some of those players are off to sluggish starts that the Yankees consider, at least in part, because of bad luck.
According to Statcast, Joey Gallo has an “expected slugging percentage” of .612, based on exit velocity and launch angle.
The problem is that his actual slugging percentage is an almost-hard-to-fathom .138.
Gallo entered Tuesday with 35 plate appearances. He’d produced four singles, six walks, no extra-base hits and 11 strikeouts.
Only Cincinnati’s Joey Votto — somehow off to a worse start than Gallo — had a lower slugging percentage (.132) with as many plate appearances.
Back to the worrisome side for Gallo is the fact that he’s not traditionally a slow starter, with an OPS of .859 in March and April over the length of his career — which adds to the concern that he is either not a good fit for New York or the increasing amount of times he’s shifted against have had an impact on him. It could also be both.
Gallo sat for the first time of the season in Sunday’s loss, pinch-hitting in the seventh inning.
The presence of Tim Locastro also gives the Yankees another outfield option.
Another player Boone was likely referring to when he mentioned hitters getting back “to what we expect” was Gleyber Torres.
Torres looked better in the final few weeks of last season, when he was moved from shortstop back to second base.
Those good indicators continued throughout much of spring training.
But the results haven’t followed in April. Torres entered Tuesday in an 0-for-13 slide and is back to being used occasionally to replace Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop.
Still, the Yankees can point to a belief — or hope — that Torres’ fortunes will turn.
After being eaten up by fastballs last season, Torres is hitting them harder so far this season.
With no help coming from the minors on the horizon, the Yankees are likely left repeating the same lines they used much of last season, at least until May.