Yankees Center Fielder Aaron Hicks, pictured above, striking out on May 10th.
The pair of talented Yankees outfielders continue their early-season woes despite the major success of the team thus far.
To even the most casual of New York Yankees fans, the performances of center fielder Aaron Hicks and left fielder Joey Gallo have become difficult to watch. The Yankees have had incredible success from their pitching staff and many of their star offensive players such as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. As of today, the Yankees are tied for the best record in Major League Baseball. With such success, it becomes difficult to pinpoint parts of the team that have not been performing well that may need to be addressed sooner rather than later if the team wants to be able to win their league-leading 28th world series title. With that being said, outfielders Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo have been exhibiting severe issues both at the plate and in the field. At this point, it is not a bold statement for me and many other fans to suggest that changes may be necessary, even if it means that these two players will not like it.
Yankees left fielder Joey Gallo, pictured below, displays his frustration after continued struggles.
At this point in the season, Hicks is batting only .200. He has also been getting on base less and striking out more, while also playing an extremely lackluster center field. Many fans believe that the injury history of Hicks may be beginning to contribute to the deterioration of his gameplay. Andrew Weissman, a recent graduate from Quinnipiac University located in Hamden, Connecticut, who majored in sports medicine, also believes that this theory may be accurate. When asked about this theory, Weissman explained his opinion. “Consistent injuries to an athlete begin to build up, especially as the athlete continues to age. Even if the player is technically considered recovered from these injuries, they have a habit of lingering and once again rearing their ugly heads, especially when discussing a professional athlete who is playing a sport at the highest level in the world.” Hicks has indeed had quite the injury history. During 2019, he had two bouts with elbow problems and also endured back problems that kept him off the field. In 2020, he had problems with his calves that also derailed his playing time. And we can’t forget in 2021, where Hicks was injured in May and missed the rest of the year due to the tearing of a tendon sheath in his left wrist. If the Yankees want to make a true push for their 28th championship, I believe that we need to see a change in center field. Unfortunately, it has become clear that Hicks has been regressing for a number of years now. Whether or not injuries are responsible for this, the bottom line is that the Yankees will need to address this position sooner rather than later if they want to win their division and hopefully the world series, as they play in the extremely competitive AL East division.
Hicks, pictured below, suffered a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist in May of 2021.
As mentioned before, another Yankees player that has fans buzzing in the wrong ways is their newly acquired left fielder, Joey Gallo. The power-hitting lefty Gallo can arguably be considered as the former face of the Texas Rangers. A lifelong Yankees fan, Gallo was thrilled when he was traded to the team in July of 2021. However, his stint in pinstripes has not gone the way he hoped it would. After struggling last season with the Yanks, Gallo has shown no signs of improvement thus far in 2022. Although the season is still young, many people are unsure of whether or not Gallo’s player profile is suitable for the team. Gallo hits for a low average (he is currently hitting a measly .179) and is supposed to make up for that by hitting home runs consistently. With only five home runs this year so far, Gallo is not even close to living up to his end of that bargain so far. When asked about the performance and the player profile of Joey Gallo, Yankees season ticket holder Nicholas Sivilli was not shy to show how he really felt about the player. “With Gallo, it’s something we have seen so many times as Yankees fans. A player comes over from a smaller market team, and they crack under the pressure of playing for the New York Yankees. It is nothing to be ashamed of, but as a fan, it is getting to the point where we need to move on from Gallo. We also do not need another player who strikes out a ton and is unable to put the ball in play.”
Gallo walking away distraught after striking out for a 4th time on May 25, pictured below.
Despite the current struggles of Gallo, Sivilli is not wrong when it comes to how he described Gallo’s player profile. Even when he is at his best, he strikes out and hits homers. There is not much else to his gameplay from an offensive standpoint. To put it into perspective, Gallo has struck out over 200 times in a season twice in his seven-year career. On average, a player in the MLB will strike out 120-150 times in a year. Defensively he is fast and athletic, but this season he has shown difficulties in regard to defending due to him still adapting to the left field dimensions of Yankee Stadium. Eric Quinn, a sports marketing major at Penn State University and a lifelong Yankees fan, believes that the Yankees can trade Gallo and receive more value back when he was asked about the subject. “Gallo is a guy that the Yankees don’t need,” Quinn said. “Flipping him to a lower market team desperate for a power bat in exchange for some high upside prospects is probably the Yankees best move. Miguel Andujar can take over for Gallo and is more than capable of doing so.” Ultimately, the Yankees may end up trading Gallo at the July 31st trade deadline, the same deadline that led to them acquiring him almost a year ago, if he is unable to pick up his play. I personally believe that Gallo has a boatload of potential. I would like to see one full year of him as a Yankee before trading him. There is a reason the Yankees acquired Gallo, and it is because of how much of a difference maker he truly can be on the team. If his struggles continue come playoff time, Gallo should be a bench player. By that point, the Yankees should have a more sustainable outfield that does not have to rely only on Aaron Judge.
Overall, the Yankees are in a fantastic spot. Complaining about or criticizing any aspect of their gameplay is very difficult to do at the moment. However, the goal is to win a championship, and in order to do this, notable holes in the team in the form of Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo need to either fix themselves or be fixed by the Yankees front office. I hold a firm belief that trades may need to happen sooner rather than later in order to truly catapult this team to championship caliber. Will the Yankees front office pull the trigger and make the trades if the poor gameplay of Hicks and Gallo continues? Or will they continue to cross their fingers and hope that these two players will improve? Only time will tell.
Hicks (Left) and Gallo (Right) pictured right.
