Brave Moves:Yankees teammates to work 14 or more walks in…
Heading into action yesterday, Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Juan Soto led the American League in walks, with 15 and 14 respectively. In the process, they became the first pair of Yankees teammates to work 14 or more walks in the team’s first 15 games since Thurman Munson and Roy White accomplished the feat in 1970 more than 50 years ago. Their ability to get on base at the top of the lineup has been a major reason for the Yankees’ early success so far this season, even as Judge himself has struggled to find his power stroke (that is, before he drilled a 450-foot homer in yesterday’s game).
Speaking of Soto, Jon Heyman revealed over the weekend that the Yankees and Padres discussed a whopping 17 different Yankees players while negotiating the blockbuster deal that brought the superstar right fielder to the Bronx. In addition to the quartet of pitchers and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka, the Padres inquired about Clarke Schmidt, Chase Hampton, Spencer Jones, Roderick Arias, and George Lombard Jr. at various points.
Yankees spot starter Cody Poteet shocked the baseball world with his six innings of one-run ball against the Cleveland Guardians during the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader. The New York coaching staff, however, were not surprised after watching him perform in spring training. Even so, considering he was on an 80-pitch limit, the fact that he provided length to a bullpen that was in desperate need of rest was a major win for the Yankees. Although he reverted back to Triple-A Scranton after the outing, the Yankees are confident that, when called upon again, he’ll be more than ready to answer.