Josh Donaldson
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John Jastremski knows his sports and when it comes to the Yankees, he has some thoughts about the 2022 season.

Not only does Jastremski think newly-minted True Yankee Josh Donaldson is just who the Bronx Bombers need, but he’s also the cure to a greater problem. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jastremski, who hosts The Ringer’s “New York, New York” podcast on Spotify. And when it came to Donaldson’s place on the Yankees, he was blunt in a way only a New Yorker could be.

“Josh Donaldson is a badass,” Jastremski said. “Josh Donaldson has hit everywhere he’s gone, and the Yankees have too many nice guys. So the fact that he could go in and ruffle some feathers a little bit and maybe give them a little bit of a kick in the ass? That’s a good thing. The Yankees need that.”

JB’s Take

Damn, John. Say it louder for the fans way up in the grandstands!

Jokes aside, John Jastremski is absolutely right about Josh Donaldson and what he could mean to the New York Yankees. If there’s been one common trend the last few seasons, it’s that the team showed little to no urgency during a cold streak. If we’re being honest, looking lifeless for an extended period of time has kind of defined the Yankees since 2020.

Donaldson, on the other hand, is known for his fiery attitude. He barely blinked when he accused Gerrit Cole of using Spider Tack last year. Even better, he immediately cleared the air with Cole once the two became teammates last month. He’ll certainly hold everyone accountable if the Yankees start slumping.

Batting .321 with three homers and six RBI in spring training is certainly a strong first impression. Hopefully, Jastremski is right and Donaldson gets the Yankees back where they should be: making deep playoff runs and knocking on the World Series’ door.

Josh Benjamin has been a staff writer at ESNY since 2018. He has had opinions about everything, especially the Yankees and Knicks. He co-hosts the “Bleacher Creatures” podcast and is always looking for new pieces of sports history to uncover, usually with a Yankee Tavern chicken parm sub in hand.