Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are superstars who are playing like it. Austin Wells has shown signs of being a capable cleanup hitter. Giancarlo Stanton drilled a three-run home run Thursday. Gleyber Torres reached base three times in five strong plate appearances.
There are several promising developments around the Yankees’ lineup. Alex Verdugo is not among them.
Verdugo entered play Thursday as the worst qualified hitter in baseball, dating back to June 15, in terms of OPS (.510), which then slipped a bit more in an 0-for-4 day during a 6-0 win over the Guardians in The Bronx.
Alex Verdugo #24, walks back to the dugout after flying out in the 4th inning against the Guardians on Aug. 22, 2024.
His batting average — .266 on June 14 — has fallen to .227. He has one home run and 41 strikeouts in his past 53 games.
Such a positive over the first few months with his new team, Verdugo is now in a spiral that he said he hasn’t “gone through in my whole career.”
He is working on adjustments he did not want to share publicly.
“I got some s–t that I understand that we got to fix and address,” said Verdugo, 0-for-19 in his past five games. “We’ll get there.”
Verdugo acknowledged he is missing pitches “that I f–king normally hit,” and the balls he does hit hard do not amount to much.
A 96.4 mph smack to left field Thursday became a line-out. A day earlier, a 102.8 mph bullet to left-center was run down.
“Every time that I do hit the ball hard or make a good swing, it seems to be right at somebody or somebody makes a good play,” said Verdugo, who said he is “pretty frustrated.”
Verdugo repeatedly referenced the team’s success as the main objective. He wants to hit well, but he is glad the team is winning, which comes first in his mind.
But the longer this funk lasts, the louder the calls would become for Jasson Dominguez.
“Clearly going through a little bit of a tough stretch,” manager Aaron Boone said of Verdugo, who said he physically is fine. “[Wednesday] night, he has a big walk, smokes a ball to center. He’s not getting rewarded for some of the good at-bats.
Alex Verdugo #24 of the New York Yankees reacts after he strikes out looking during the second inning.
But it’s on us to make sure we lift him up and get him going. He is an important part to the length of our lineup.”
At his best, Verdugo hits with authority to all fields and plays a good left field, an area of his game that has not disappointed.
“We’re close,” Verdugo said of his swing. “It seems like we’re so far away, but we’re close.”
Tim Hill, Luke Weaver and Michael Tonkin combined for three scoreless, hitless innings in which they walked one and struck out four.
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells #28, hitting an RBI sac-fly in the 5th inning.
On a day game that followed a night game, Wells received a second straight start.
The lefty swinger batted cleanup and went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly. The righty-swinging Jose Trevino will see more time against lefties.
The Yankees have not announced who will start Saturday’s and Sunday’s games against the Rockies. Marcus Stroman had been on track for Saturday, and Will Warren — who was available out of the bullpen Thursday — could start one.
Saturday’s Old-Timers’ Day again will not include a game.
“I’m OK with that,” said Boone, one eligible former Yankee. “I know Willie Randolph likes to get out there, fall down and do some things. I’m not as good at falling anymore.”
Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff and his father, Mark, the former longtime WFAN executive, played catch on the field before the game. The two extended a father-son monthly tradition that extends back to when Mike was 6 years old.
