With many question marks facing the 2017 New York Yankees, the play of the bench may be one of its strengths.
When it comes to the New York Yankees, they hold an abundance of concern as the 2017 season approaches.From the unstable rotation and the promise yet uncertainty in the lineup to the top-heavy bullpen, there’s little certainty that the Bombers can make a legitimate run this upcoming season.
One bright spot that many people are overlooking, however, is the potential performance of the bench.
Sure, at face value, the role of reserves aren’t remarkably significant, but New York having someone to pinch-hit in the late innings or use to make the lineup more flexible is invaluable.
With the recovering Greg Bird, their star (Gary Sanchez) being a catcher and overall age causing fatigue, the bench will play a prominent role in 2017.
Elite Sports NY breaks down each candidate for a bench role and what they bring to the table that makes their position as a sub so important to the overall success of the team.
Tyler Austin
If Tyler Austin doesn’t snag a starting job this spring, perhaps it’s a good thing because he’s just too valuable to fasten into one position.
The ability to DH, play first, right field, left field and even some third base will prove to be beneficial for Bird (who’s recovering from shoulder surgery) Aaron Judge (who still needs adjustments), Sanchez and more.
Not to mention the production you may see from him.
The 25-year old smacked five home runs in 31 games following a promotion on August 13, 2016, a 26 home run total when proportioned to 162 games.
In addition to that, all of his homers were driven the opposite field while he also demonstrated a superb clutch gene (highest FanGraphs clutch rating among Yankees hitters) and went 6-for-12 (.500) with two home runs over his last five games.
With Austin, you’ll get a guy who could not only produce and play a ton of positions around the diamond, but who’s handy for a late-game, pinch-hit situation.
Austin Romine
Austin Romine is the prototypical backup catcher.
He won’t overly impress with the bat (.242/.269/.382 in ’16) but his abilities behind the plate is exactly what the doctor should order when Sanchez needs a day.
In 355.1 total innings behind the plate last season, Romine made just one error making his .997 fielding percentage rank fourth in the American League among catchers with at least 350 innings of service.
Additionally, his catcher’s ERA was 3.88 last season ranking ahead of Sanchez (4.41) and Brian McCann (4.18). While his caught stealing percentage is low at 17%, his consistency as a backstop and game-caller is exactly what his role calls for.
Ronald Torreyes
Ronald Torreyes, or the “Little Engine That Could,” played exceptionally well as a utility infielder in 2016, backing up his tiny figure with some big play.
Not seeing much playing time until August 19, Torreyes slashed .299/.337/.442 with his first home run over his final 30 games of the season.
Overall, however, Torreyes trumped the league’s average fielding percentage at third base by 20 points while showing the ability to play second, short and even some right field.
He plays the role of a feisty utility man that flys under the radar, but nevertheless has a huge bearing on a team’s fate.
Whenever guys like Torreyes are called upon, and the number of situations is petite, they are expected to perform as though they are in the lineup on a daily basis.
Having a guy to go to and know they’ll give you a solid glove at any position and who has shown the ability to give you a solid at-bat. is extremely valuable for a team with a mix of aging veterans and growing youngsters.
Aaron Hicks
Disappointing fans over the course of 162 games a year ago, Aaron Hicks‘s late-season burst is convincing enough to consider him to be a serviceable fourth outfielder in 2017.
Following the trade of Carlos Beltran to the Texas Rangers, the switch-hitter slashed .276/.339/.431 with five of his eight home runs over his final 36 games of the year.
From August 11 to September 26, Hicks hit .306 and even set the record for a 105.5 mph throw from left field against the Oakland Athletics on April 20.
Other than his strong arm, Hicks did take some questionable routes to balls, especially at Yankee Stadium, but he still carries the reputation of being a defender with intense upside.
With Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury carrying average arms in their respective positions and both being left-handed hitters, Hicks could improve the complexity of the lineup if he were to carry his late-season performance into next season.
Rob Refsnyder
I’ve always called Rob Refsnyder the “Ben Zobrist of the Yankees,” and his versatility in 2016 fit that assertion to a degree.
In 58 games, Refsnyder slashed .250/.328/.309 and while he failed to hit a home run in 152 at-bats, he found time at five positions including first, right, second, left and third.
In 158.2 innings in the outfield, the Yankees’ fifth-round pick from the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft didn’t make a single error.
He’s shown that he’s stronger at second and right above any other position, but being on a “crash course” to learn other positions and being willing to adapt to it makes him a valuable option as the season progresses.
Of course, it’s highly unlikely that Joe Girardi carries more than four bench players on his 25-man roster to start the year, but Refsnyder makes the team more prepared in case an injury were to happen to any position.
The funny part about Refsnyder is that the prevalence of the super-utilityman has increased over the years. The possibility of having a guy like him joining Torreyes and Austin, giving the Yankees three utility guys, is quite unusual.
In the end, these players mentioned won’t get a ton of attention as difference makers throughout next season. However, every team goes through injuries, fatigue, complete fall-offs or simply guys in need of days off.
The Yankees, thanks to the players mentioned in this slideshow, have the talent and versatility among their role players to succeed in case of any circumstance.
Do you agree that the bench is one of the team’s strong suits this year? Do you have any objections or criticisms? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.