top of page
WilsonAffiliated.png
file.jpg

10 Positions in 10 Weeks: Analyzing Center Field

  • Writer: SSTN Admin
    SSTN Admin
  • Nov 28, 2020
  • 2 min read

Photo credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

In Part 7 of a 10-week series, I will be taking a look at the center field position from last year and how it could look going forward.

Center field was one of the few positions on the Yankees that did not have an injury problem during the 2020 season. Aaron Hicks commanded the spot for 50 games, starting in 48 of those. He committed two errors in the field, but was still able to cover ground and had three outfield assists. After all, he does have one of the best arms in all of baseball.

At the plate, there were not too many talking points. Hicks hit .225 with six home runs and 21 RBIs with an OPS of .793. One thing that he does manage to do well is work counts deep, as he walked 41 times in 211 plate appearances, nearly 20 percent of the time.

Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman also played several games in center field, but both players were discussed in last week’s article, so there is no need to cover them for the second week in a row.

Although he only played in one game last season, Estevan Florial may have a crucial role in the next several seasons. Hicks has had his share of injuries over the past few seasons and could spend some time on the IL at some point next season.

That’s where Florial comes in. If Hicks gets injured and the Yankees need to bring in another outfielder, Florial may get the call. He’s already dipped his foot into the major leagues and could be ready to get a legitimate shot at being a major part of the Yankee roster.

As for Hicks, expect him to be the everyday center fielder. He has five years left on his contract and is expected to give the Yankees plenty of games during that span, as long as he is healthy.

I am also predicting that he has an improved year at the plate, increasing his batting average and getting on base more often. I believe that he can have a higher percentage of walks to plate appearances than this past season.

His bat will continue to be vital in the lineup, as the Yankees are still dominated by right-handed bats. Being a switch-hitter makes him even more valuable, but being a left-handed batter will make him one of the few on the Yankees.

 
 
 

Comments


dr sem.png

Start Spreading the News is the place for some of the very best analysis and insight focusing primarily on the New York Yankees.

(Please note that we are not affiliated with the Yankees and that the news, perspectives, and ideas are entirely our own.)

blog+image+2.jpeg

Have a question for the Weekly Mailbag?

Click below or e-mail:

SSTNReaderMail@gmail.com

SSTN is proudly affiliated with Wilson Sporting Goods! Check out our press release here, and support us by using the affiliate links below:

587611.jpg
583250.jpg
Scattering the Ashes.jpeg

"Scattering The Ashes has all the feels. Paul Russell Semendinger's debut novel taps into every emotion. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll reexamine those relationships that give your life meaning." — Don Burke, writer at The New York Post

The Least Among Them.png

"This charming and meticulously researched book will remind you of baseball’s power to change and enrich lives far beyond the diamond."

—Jonathan Eig, New York Times best-selling author of Luckiest Man, Opening Day, and Ali: A Life

From Compton to the Bronx.jpg

"A young man from Compton rises to the highest levels of baseball greatness.

Considered one of the classiest baseball players ever, this is Roy White's story, but it's also the story of a unique period in baseball history when the Yankees fell from grace and regained glory and the country dealt with societal changes in many ways."

foco-yankees.png

We are excited to announce our new sponsorship with FOCO for all officially licensed goods!

FOCO Featured:
carlos rodon bobblehead foco.jpg
bottom of page