TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees’ first dozen spring workouts are in the books, and as the club prepares to play its Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Phillies, manager Aaron Boone has been pleased by the sense of focus within his clubhouse.
“For a lot of us in there, there’s that feeling of unfinished business,” Boone said. “We know how much this matters, but always trying to keep that perspective that we’re in February. We’re not winning anything right now. We’re laying a foundation right now, trying to be uber-focused on that process of how we get a little incrementally better every day.”
Here are five notable observations from camp as the Yankees dive into exhibition action.
As Aaron Judge looks to follow up a remarkable 62-homer campaign that saw him break Roger Maris’ 61-year-old American League single-season record, the Yankees’ new captain is off to a solid start — and not just because he belted a long homer to left-center field off Ron Marinaccio in Friday’s batting practice session.
Judge earned plaudits for his increased leadership in 2022, when he starred on the field while organizing numerous excursions to concerts and dinners for teammates. Wherever Judge went, his teammates followed; Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and Nestor Cortes refused to exit the clubhouse after road games until Judge was ready to get on the bus.
“There’s always that unknown about what this team is capable of, how great can we be and what we can accomplish this year,” Judge said. “Going into every season, I know what we’re capable of. We’ve got All-Stars, Cy Young candidates and former MVPs on this team. Let’s see what we can go out there and do this season.”
2. The long and short(stop) of it
When the Yankees promoted Oswald Peraza from Triple-A in early September, there was no set plan for the 22-year-old’s playing time. Mostly, Boone envisioned Peraza soaking up the atmosphere from the bench, drawing an occasional spot start or pinch-hitting opportunity. But Peraza batted .306 in 18 games before making his playoff debut, which works in his favor as he looks to supplant Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Anthony Volpe to become the Opening Day shortstop.
“He’s got very natural shortstop actions,” Boone said. “He’s athletic; he moves well for a guy that’s got good size to him. He’s got a good throwing arm. He looks the part picking up a ground ball. He can really run. He’s got pop with the bat, hits the ball with authority. I think he’s got a chance to have a long career in this game as a frontline shortstop.”
3. Keeping ’em in the park
Gerrit Cole led the Majors with 257 strikeouts last season, but he also paced the American League with 33 home runs allowed in a Major League-most 33 starts. Though the right-hander acknowledged that he’d like to keep the ball in the yard more frequently this season, he also wondered aloud why Justin Verlander didn’t seem to hear so much about the number of home runs he allowed (36) after edging Cole for the 2019 AL Cy Young Award.
“I try to stay vigilant about how a little tinker here or a different pitch selection here might be able to prevent some of those things,” Cole said. “The solo home runs really aren’t [the problem]. It’s the late ones that flip the game, or there are two or three runners on base, that sting the most. It’s not like I’m going to give up zero home runs this year. I’m always going to give up a certain amount of home runs.”
4. For Stanton, the past is the past
When Stanton arrived in New York five years ago, having just been crowned the National League’s MVP after slugging 59 homers for the Marlins, he thought long and hard about replicating that 2017 performance: “I tried to remember everything I ate, everything I watched.”
Stanton’s advice to Judge is to not focus on 62, and to live in the present.
As for Stanton — who could play some right field as the Yankees look to give him a few days in the field each week — Boone believes that a healthy Stanton can still be an MVP-caliber contributor.
“You’ve got to stay healthy; you’ve got to be out there,” Stanton said. “You’ve got to be in a good rhythm throughout the months and not worry about 59 or whatever homers. You have to produce in the heart of the lineup.”
Cortes’ herky-jerky deliveries and trademark “Super Mario Bros.” mustache have helped make him one of the most popular Yankees, but those should only be part of the story, in Boone’s view. Boone hopes that 2023 is the season when Cortes convinces the general public that the last 2 1/2 years have been no fluke, because within the clubhouse walls, the lefty is admired and respected as much more than a curiosity.
“I think everybody is that same way. Everybody wants to prove that next year is going to be better,” Cortes said. “For me, it’s just trying to stay healthy as much as possible. Last year I missed two starts to the groin [strain], and the goal today is to not miss time with the [strained] hamstring. I think we’re off on the right foot, and hopefully I can continue to build off that.”
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