Yankees Leadoff Hitter Remains in Question as Season Looms

Sophomore Stride

In his second full season, Austin Wells could be the Yankees’ first-ever catcher to bat lead-off, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Through his last five games, the young back-stopper has hit first, and the results have been promising: Wells is 5-14 with 2 home runs and a 1.186 OPS across a span of 14 leadoff at-bats, continuing his hot streak from the second half of last season, when he slashed .241/.333/.412 and put himself in the conversation for AL Rookie of the Year.

The Yankees are expecting big things out of Wells this season, who has shown flashes of great hitting across his young career. In particular, Boone is impressed by his ability to get on base, saying “I think he’s going to be a guy in his career that is going to get on base,” Boone said. “That’s my number one criterion for the leadoff spot. I’m not saying I’m going to land on him in the leadoff spot, either. It’s just something that I’m looking at. I think he’s going to be a really good offensive player right now, and I think part of his offensive profile is going to be the ability to get on base.”

Alternative Hitters

Though Wells’ on-base skills may suit the leadoff spot nicely, he is also not a traditional 1-hitter. Though he’s not slow, he’s not too fast either, stealing a single base last season. Additionally, if he struggles (likely for a young hitter), the Yankees have a dilemma since there’s no hiding a slumped batting leadoff. One name that comes to mind as a more natural kind of leadoff hitter would be Jazz Chisholm, who typically hit in the middle of the lineup last season. Chisholm, who has a dynamic combination of speed and power, would seemingly be a great fit for a leadoff role. However, with the absence of Giancarlo Stanton, the middle of the lineup is suddenly much weaker. As such, Chisholm’s presence may be necessary in the four or five spot.

Another hitter who could hit leadoff is Anthony Volpe. Though he struggled throughout much of the season, people quickly forget that he had a 21-game hitting streak while leading off during May of last year. However, if Volpe does hit first, he needs to have a much better season than his previous two campaigns. With a career OBP of .288, the 23-year-old shortstop desperately needs to bump up his on-base numbers. Thanks to his already excellent base-stealing abilities, this would make him an elite leadoff man.

The Consensus

With multiple players who could fit at the top of the lineup, the Yankees have somewhat of a difficult decision. It might turn out like last season, with Boone testing out players until one fits the bill. Right now, it looks like Wells will start the season at leadoff, but things could easily change. This is an important decision that the Yankees need to make before the season starts, especially considering how their depth seems to be quickly running out due to injuries.