Didi Gregorius
Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

The New York Yankees are currently on a winning tear and with a team this talented, it’s difficult to see them making any mistakes at all.

Minnesota Twins? No contest. Los Angeles Angels? Might as well have been Yankee Stadium in the eye of the New York Yankees. They took this week and completely owned it.

Just last week rumors were circulating that the New York Yankees were already setting themselves up for October failure with their poor start to the season. One eight-game winning streak later and all the haters were silenced.

Along with the outcomes of the games leaning in favor of the Bronx Bombers, the Bombers got the job done with plenty of home runs and incredible defensive efforts. Oh, and the leadership of Didi Gregorius who simply cannot slow down yet this year.

Let’s take a look at last week’s Twins showdown in the Bronx and their recent trip out West to face the Angels and the phenomenal Shohei Ohtani. You’re about to relive some incredible plays, ladies and gentlemen!

6. Stone Cold Tyler Austin

My friends, Tyler Austin is a beast. No, not just because he allowed the Yankees to manhandle Joe Kelly. He just can crush home runs like no other.

The first base replacement for Greg Bird is now serving his four-game suspension for the brawl but prior to that, he launched a three-run shot to left against the Minnesota Twins.

The best part is that the Twins’ pitcher knew it the second Austin’s bat made contact.
I mean, what a blast! A far different swing than Greg Bird but still just as, if not more, effective. The Yankees lineup may be doing well without him but Austin is huge piece to their success.

5. Stone Cold Tyler Austin Part II

Here we are again, raving over yet another awesome play from the backup first baseman. This time, the play came on the defensive end.

With the Twins threatening against Chasen Shreve, Austin made a phenomenal grab to end the threat and the inning, allowing the Yanks to escape with the lead.

This the type of play that gets teams pumped up and ready to go. The Yankees were blessed with another stellar athlete who is already making a name for himself, despite being considered a backup.

4. First impressions are everything

Welcome to the Bronx and welcome to the top plays list, Gleyber Torres! Not even one week into his big league debut and he’s already cracking the list.

Torres has already made some great plays but this one takes the cake. Losing Starlin Castro this season was a blow for the Yankees but Torres just showed that he can make those same kind of plays as well.

What an incredible tag and field awareness by Torres to complete that play. At the time, the Yankees were only up 2-1 at the time and a stolen base would have meant another runner in scoring position, a threat for the Twins. Gleyber Torres to the rescue!

3. Stanton’s Snag

Giancarlo Stanton has finally made the Lit Six list this season! While he’s had a rough season, including fans in his ear about his less than stellar overall play in left field, he shut up the haters with a diving/falling catch in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Ranging to his right, Stanton left his feet to make the snag, showing off his golden soles in the process. It doesn’t matter that Stanton can’t seem to field a ball directly in the sun…I mean, who can? However, he’s making these tough catches look easy in the dark.

That’s right…no hit for you. Not on Stanton’s watch. That catch helped Jonathan Holder complete a much-needed 1-2-3 inning before the Yankees stole a 4-3 victory over the Angels that same night.

2. Scary Gary

Gary Sanchez tends to go unnoticed in a lineup full of stars. Not on Thursday afternoon.

During the matinee finale between the Yankees and Minnesota Twins, the Yankees found themselves in a 3-1 hole going into the bottom of the ninth inning. One majestic Sanchez at-bat later and the Yankees found themselves going home with a big win, keeping their winning streak alive.

With runners on second and third and a 0-1 count, Sanchez blasted a homer into the left field seats, marking his first walk-off shot in his career. That home run tied Sanchez for the league-lead in home runs for catchers this season (6).

With this being the first walk-off of the season for the Yankees, they celebrated in grand fashion, including the awesome Brett Gardner-led Gatorade bath.

1. The NEW Captain Clutch

He’s a shortstop. He’s a leader. He comes through in the clutch. No, sadly we are not discussing Derek Jeter. Instead we are talking about his replacement, Sir Didi Gregorius.

What he is doing this year is beyond ridiculous. As of Sunday afternoon, Gregorius is ranked second in batting average in the entire league (.356), is tied for the league-lead in home runs (10) and leads all players in RBI (30). He hit his 10th home run in a huge spot, giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead in the top of the 10th inning against the Angels.

So his swing is only for Yankee Stadium, hmm? No, his swing is perfect for any ballpark. Gregorius also received a rare road curtain call for his heroics.

Yankees fans are everywhere, as was proven this weekend in Los Angeles. Now they will take their talents to their postseason foe in the Houston Astros for a four-game set before facing another postseason challenge in the Cleveland Indians at home.


Allison is just a girl with an enormous passion for the game of baseball and the written word. Based in Upstate New York, her life-long relationship with the New York Yankees is something that she developed through close relationships with her mother and grandfather. An aspiring sports writer, she graduated with a journalism degree and is finding places to share her excitement about the sporting world and how it affects us all.