Alex Verdugo believes he possesses the perfect tools to support his superstar Yankees teammates.
The versatile Verdugo, whom the Yankees acquired this month in a rare trade with the rival Red Sox, wants to use his abilities to make contact, get on base and play all three outfield positions to complement Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who are among MLB’s premier run producers.
“I’m excited to be out there with Judge, be out there with Soto,” Verdugo said Thursday during an introductory Zoom call. “They obviously handle the power side of it. I want to handle the getting on base for them, the saving runs and helping any way I can.”
Verdugo, a career .281 hitter, joins the Yankees after four seasons with the Red Sox. He says he hasn’t spoken with the Yankees about how they plan to use him, though he could be a fit atop the batting order after 2023’s primary leadoff hitter, DJ LeMahieu, batted .243 during a down season.
The lefty-swinging Verdugo could also help balance out a Yankees lineup that’s been heavily right-handed in recent years, potentially hitting lower in the order between Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres.
“I can kind of be wherever in the lineup,” Verdugo said. “I could be at the top of the lineup to work at-bats, see pitches, get on base. I could be in the middle of the lineup for when some of the guys are on base. I can shoot a hole. I can hit a gapper. Every once in a while I run into one where it will leave the park, but I just feel like my bat-to-ball skill is a really good thing.”
Verdugo, whom the Red Sox acquired in the 2020 blockbuster trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, hasn’t hit for much power in his career. His 13 home runs in 2023 tied a career-high.
His new manager believes those numbers could improve at Yankee Stadium, where the right-field wall sits only 314 feet away from home plate down the line.
“I think there’s more power in there, and maybe that power plays up a little bit in our ballpark, being a left-handed hitter,” Aaron Boone said Thursday at a food bank hosted at NYPD’s 44th Precinct in the Bronx. “I don’t want him to chase that. I want him to be the best hitter he can be.”
Boone also lauded Verdugo’s contact hitting, saying he could envision putting him anywhere in the lineup. The manager has repeatedly praised Verdugo’s defense in the corner outfield spots as well.
Last season, Verdugo was a Gold Glove finalist in right field, which is far more spacious at Boston’s Fenway Park than left field.
Verdugo could now shift to left field, which is much bigger at Yankee Stadium. That would require Judge to frequently play center field, where he rates about league average, and allow Soto, whose defense grades the lowest of the three, to occupy right.
“Last year, I really just wanted to get in better shape. I wanted to be able to run like I used to. I wanted to be able to change directions, and I felt like … you could see it,” Verdugo said.
“I was able to run after balls, go get balls, and if I had not the best jump, I could make up for it. The fact of Fenway being so big in right, I think it played good, too, as in I got to show that a little bit more. Wherever I play in New York, whether it’s left, center, right, it’s going to be wherever they need me.”
