Since Brett Gardner last played a game in left field for the Yankees — and even some time before then — the position had become a black hole of production.
That has only made Alex Verdugo’s start to this season even more impactful for the Yankees.
From the time Gardner last roamed left field through the end of the 2023 season, the Yankees started 16 different players in left field.
Verdugo started his 35th game of the season there on Wednesday night against the Astros in the Yankees’ 38th game.
The only three games he has missed came last week, when he went on the paternity list for the birth of his child.
Before and after that, he has consistently made his impact felt — in left field, in the batter’s box and in the clubhouse.
“He’s just a complete player,” Aaron Judge said recently. “He’s a guy we’ve been looking for, a left fielder that’s left-handed and competes every single day. He shows up every single day ready to play, he wants to play every single day.
“I told him the other day in the outfield, he’s one of the best left fielders, besides Brett Gardner, that I’ve played with. Just how he reads, he communicates. We got a special group of outfielders here. We’re lucky to have him. I’ve been pushing for quite a long time to try to get him over here and excited to see what he’s doing.”
Verdugo’s latest clutch effort came in Tuesday’s win over the Astros, when he went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs and a diving catch. He entered Wednesday batting .275 with a .812 OPS, his left-handed bat and bat-to-ball skills providing a strong fit in the cleanup spot since Aaron Boone moved him there late last month.
For Boone, it has been a luxury to stick Verdugo in left field on an everyday basis, especially considering the revolving door the Yankees have gone through there in recent years.
Since Gardner last played a game in left field in 2021, these are the Yankees that have started there: Joey Gallo (51 games), Giancarlo Stanton (7), Aaron Hicks (61), Tim Locastro (3), Miguel Andjuar (18), Marwin Gonzalez (9), Matt Carpenter (3), Andrew Benintendi (31), Oswaldo Cabrera (42), Franchy Cordero (4), Jake Bauers (20), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (28), Greg Allen (3), Willie Calhoun (3), Billy McKinney (27) and Everson Pereira (26).
Between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Yankees left fielders accrued an fWAR of 2.9, which ranked 22nd in the majors. Through 34 games this season, Verdugo had recorded a 1.1 fWAR.
“He’s been everything I would have hoped for, as far as just his energy and edge every day, his ability to fit into the room and then his play on both sides of the ball,” said Boone, who like Judge had been eyeing Verdugo for a few years before the Yankees acquired him in December. “He’s been terrific.”
And it’s not just offensively that Verdugo has been a welcome addition. It has also been noticeable just how much ground he covers in left field.
Entering Wednesday, Verdugo was tied for third among qualified major league left fielders with three Outs Above Average (OAA), per Baseball Savant. He was tied for second among left fielders with four Defensive Runs Saved (DRS).
From 2021-2023 — 2020 was the last year Gardner started the majority of games in left field — the Yankees ranked 24th with minus-22 OAA and 25th with minus-nine DRS from their left fielders.
It’s possible Verdugo’s stay in The Bronx only lasts this season — he is a free agent next offseason — but they have instantly benefitted from his arrival. In the meantime, he has consistently gushed about how much he loves the team and the clubhouse.
“I love it, I love it,” Verdugo said. “I really do. It’s a great organization, great team, great staff. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier here.”