With five games now in the books, we’re deep into what Yankees manager Aaron Boone calls “the week of overreactions” -- and despite a small sample size, there’s plenty to talk about, from Torpedo bats to the pitching staff and more. That makes this a perfect time to dig in and answer fan questions in the first Yankees Inbox of the regular season: Why is Aaron Judge not using a Torpedo bat? Imagine how much more dangerous he could be. Seems like a missed opportunity, no? -- Mike F., New York, N.Y. Judge would argue that he’s doing just fine with the equipment he has; that same Chandler model has produced two American League Most Valuable Player Awards in the past three seasons. In fact, Judge seemed completely caught off guard by the discussion of the Torpedo bats this past weekend, calling it “surprising” to see it become a hot-button national topic. He said that he has not swung a Torpedo bat and has no interest in trying one. “What I did the past couple of seasons kind of speaks for itself,” Judge said. “Why try to change something if you’ve got something that’s working? Why add a new factor?” |
Now, that being said, Judge is certainly aware of the bats, which are currently being used by five active Yankees: Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells. Giancarlo Stanton also said he’ll continue using one when activated from the injured list. Judge is also up on the other innovations within the offensive game -- he mentioned the hockey puck-style knobs that some players use, which add a counterweight to the bat. Someone is always trying to build a better mouse trap. Judge suggested that “if I start losing something” at the plate later in his career, he might consider trying something new, but said: “I think we’re good where we’re at right now.” |
Where does Clarke Schmidt fit into this rotation, with all five starters looking sharp and healthy early on? -- Marc K., via Facebook I can hear Boone knocking on his desk from here. This isn’t too far from the questions that were asked in early February, when it looked like Marcus Stroman was the odd man out in a formidable rotation, and he began the season as the No. 3 starter. Just for the sake of argument, let’s assume everyone remains healthy. Boone said Schmidt is expected to make two Minor League starts, the first of which will come this weekend with Double-A Somerset, and is being targeted to slot into the rotation on April 15 or 16 vs. the Royals. Your choices at this moment would seem to be optioning Will Warren to Triple-A or risk losing Carlos Carrasco, unless you’re moving him to the bullpen. I’ll lean on what Boone said earlier this spring (and what Joe Girardi and Joe Torre said in springs prior): baseball is a game of attrition, and these decisions tend to work themselves out. |
In your opinion, is this the year Anthony Volpe makes “the leap” offensively? -- Michael Hall, via X What Volpe did during last year’s postseason impressed me, especially against top-caliber pitching and in games that counted the most. His next step will be capturing that production from wire to wire, and it begins with better strike zone control and getting on base more consistently -- with his skill set, there’s no reason he should be posting on-base percentages below .300. We’ve talked a lot about the Torpedo bats this week, and maybe that helps Volpe incrementally, but as Brewers manager Pat Murphy said: “It ain’t the wand, it’s the magician.” There has been a lot of good in Volpe’s early career -- he’s got extra-base power, he’s aggressive on the basepaths, he’s dependable in the field. We’ve seen spurts of his on-base ability (a career-high 34 straight games last May 2-June 8, for example). If he can be that guy more often than not over a full season, Volpe should wind up back in the leadoff spot. When is Jonathan Loáisiga due back? -- Rich R., Ridgefield, Conn. Loáisiga has been in the early stages of his throwing program at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, and recently said he expects to be back in the big leagues sometime in late May or early June. The Yankees are counting on him to bolster their bullpen as a high-leverage setup arm; Loáisiga said he felt he “owed it to the fans” to re-sign after being limited to four innings last season. |
When does it look like Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. will be brought up? -- Anthony D., via Facebook MLB Pipeline forecasts Jones’ big league ETA in 2025, and though the club’s No. 3 prospect will begin his Minor League season back with Double-A Somerset, there will be an opportunity for the 23-year-old outfielder to advance. Under a best-case scenario, you might see Jones making his Major League debut sometime after the All-Star break -- especially if the swing changes that had Jones feeling “dangerous” this spring result in more impact and fewer strikeouts. Lombard (the club's No. 2 prospect) has a 2027 big league ETA, according to MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old was one of the most impressive players in camp, and it’s easy to imagine him starring on the left side of the Yankees’ infield at some point. Patience will be key: though he certainly wasn’t intimidated by big leaguers this spring, Lombard has yet to take an at-bat in Double-A and only had 131 plate appearances in High-A last season. We’ll watch those box scores closely, because his future looks bright. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Which of the following Yankees did not hit a home run in the 2001 World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks? A. Scott Brosius B. Paul O’Neill C. Shane Spencer D. Alfonso Soriano |
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THIS DATE IN YANKEES HISTORY |
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B. O’Neill You almost certainly have an indelible memory of O’Neill playing in the 2001 World Series, including his tearful salute to Yankees fans late in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium. But though O’Neill had five hits in 15 at-bats (.333) during that Fall Classic, including a double, he did not hit a homer. |
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