“Next Man Up,” is not just a motto that became centered around the Yankees, but something that gave many minor leaguers a chance to show their worthiness, some of which have remained on the roster since their initial call-up.
Injuries have plagued the Yankees over the past several seasons, bad enough for Brian Cashman to eliminate the entire training staff after the 2019 season and start fresh.
Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are two players who have been consistently injured since the 2019 season, playing in a combined 171 games out of 444 possible regular-season games. To say the least, it has been a major disappointment.
Both players went into the off-season in hopes of changing their normal workout routines in hopes of becoming more durable for the long season. The question is whether or not this will work?
Although I am no expert on the subject, I do know that this is a big first step to resolving this issue. Everyone wants to become as strong as possible to hit balls harder and get more home runs. That’s perfectly fine.
What isn’t fine is when players continuously get hurt for the wrong reasons. Freak accidents happen, and both Judge and Stanton have seen these things happen. But during the off-season, both players would train for the 100m sprint rather than the 26.2-mile marathon. After all, how much stronger can these two guys get?
Judge and Stanton are not the only two to have done this as several other Yankees have shown that they cannot stay healthy for a full season, or at least a good proportion. But Judge and Stanton have both made it publicly known that they changed their workout routines, which is why the sole focus is on those two.
My prediction is that the workout routine will work for both players. They may both endure an I.L. stint at some point during the season but will avoid a long stint or second or third stints for re-aggravating an injury.
As I mentioned, I am not an expert and this is purely my opinion. I may just be extremely optimistic for a new and full season. However, both players are trying to change for the good of the team, as well as themselves.
Here’s to a healthy season for not just Judge and Stanton, but the entire Yankee organization.
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