Aaron Hicks apparently simply wanted to get out of the brilliant lights of the Big Apple.
That’s the way in which it appears because the ex-Yankee has set the world on fireplace as a member of the Baltimore Orioles over the previous few weeks.
The 33-year-old is slashing .340/.444/.604 with three homers and 10 RBI in 17 video games with the O’s since agreeing to a deal to remain within the American League East on May 30.
On Tuesday, Hicks smacked a homer and had 4 RBI because the Orioles — 5 video games forward of the Yankees within the standings — beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 8-6.
“It’s been awesome,” Hicks informed reporters after the sport. “The team has really welcomed me since I got here, and been able to have opportunities pretty much from day one to play every single day. It’s been fun.”
His outburst with the Orioles has been so good that his season OPS — together with his .188/.263/.261 28-game efficiency with the Bombers this season — has shot as much as .755 with an WRC+ of 114 which might rank fourth on the Yanks behind Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and Harrison Bader.
Those ugly numbers led to the struggling Yankees dumping Hicks with roughly $25 million remaining on the curious seven-year, $70 million contract he signed after the 2018 season.
While it’s simpler to carry out with out 40,000-plus followers booing you on a nightly foundation, Hicks’ efficiency in Baltimore is because of rather more than only a easy change of surroundings. Orioles hitting coaches sat down with Hicks and instantly began flipping via movie from his 2018 swing — the place he slashed .248/.366/.467 with 27 homers — and located a mechanical adjustment, in response to the Baltimore Banner.
“They feel like that’s what’s going to allow me to be the player I was three years ago,” Hicks stated on June 9. “Five years, I think. I had to think about it… A lot of the technique that I used in my swing [in 2018] is what they’re trying to implement, or try to get me to get back to.”
Baltimore having a look again at what Hicks was doing when he was profitable begs the query if the Yankee had been doing the identical factor. Seeing what the Orioles are attempting to do to repair Hicks, it’s laborious to overlook that it apparently took a latest rooster parm dinner together with his pals for Anthony Volpe to appreciate his mechanics had been out of whack.
Hicks, the previous first-round draft decide who was lower on May 20, entered the 2023 season with an opportunity to safe the job as their beginning left fielder regardless of a brutal 2022 season during which he slashed .216/.330/.313 in 130 video games — together with a number of defensive miscues. However, he was overwhelmed out by Oswaldo Cabrera who “earned” the job in spring coaching.
“This is family,” supervisor Aaron Boone informed reporters on May 20. “You go through everything with these guys. Obviously with Aaron, some ups and downs. He’s had some really good seasons. … Not an easy conversation to have but one we felt was necessary.”
Now, the Bombers are paying the outfielder to play in opposition to them on a division rival and apparently whereas enjoying higher than he ever has earlier than.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com