Lost in the shuffle of upcoming prospects, New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius won’t go away easily with his newfound power.
Didi Gregorius replaced Derek Jeter on the New York Yankees because of his stellar defensive abilities and perchance for getting on base.
The fact that the Yankees got him from a steal of a three-way trade made it that much more appealing. Even though he didn’t boast a power bat, he still would make the team that much better.
Now that power bat is emerging and the Yankees couldn’t be more excited. The question is, will it last? And is this the new Gregorius the Yankees should be counting on come next season?
The answer is yes and the Bronx Bombers now have another weapon in their lineup.
In Gregorius’ five-year career, he launched 42 home runs. 20 of those shots came just last season with the Yankees. His previous career-high for home runs was nine in 2015.
Even though we’ve only seen a few at-bats from Gregorius so far this season, it’s easy to get excited about what we see. Comparing his swings from the beginning of his career to this spring training, he has shortened the length of his swing, allowing him to get the head of the bat to the ball quicker.
In addition, his more compact swing gives him a power boost that he has lacked in the past.
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His first home run this spring came from attacking the first pitch he saw. That, coupled with his smooth swing, resulted in a no-doubter over the right field wall. It may only be one home run, but that one swing tells us so much about Gregorius’ future.
He’ll likely go through ups and downs throughout the season, but he’s taking a more aggressive approach at the plate which can certainly help him this season. The power behind his swing that he’s shown so far just makes it even sweeter.
Gregorius, who has been quoted as saying “I didn’t know I had power” in an article from NJ.com, may have just given Yankee fans a taste of what is to come from him at the plate this year.
And yes, this power surge will last. Like I said, it may only be one home run, but Gregorius has shown adjustments from last season that make his plate presence far more menacing.
Even better, Gregorius doesn’t seem to be lunging towards pitches as he’s been apt to do in the past. He is letting his weight stay back, which in turn puts more power behind his quick hands.
All that from a few spring training at-bats? You better believe it! We’re getting our first taste of 2017 Gregorius and any baseball fan would be impressed by what he’s shown so far.
The minor adjustments he’s made have made a huge difference so far and are sure to continue into the future. Gregorius seems more settled and comfortable at the plate, which will likely lead to him crushing more home runs for the Yankees.
He may not be known as a power hitter, but this season will be the one that changes everything. With one home run out of the way, that certainly will be one of plenty we’ll see from Didi in 2017.
The Yankees have Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez who have been known to launch moonshots. However, you can’t count out Didi, who will likely be a major long ball threat this season.
The power surge is back in the Bronx and Didi Gregorius has joined the club. Let’s just say that Yankees fans couldn’t be happier right now.
