Bench play could be a strength for the 2017 New York Yankees
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.
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Christian Kouroupakis covers the New York Yankees and is the Editorial Director for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page and follow him on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Don’t hesitate to shoot him an email with any questions, criticisms, or concerns.
