The Yankees opened up their spring marketing campaign at BayCare Park in Clearwater on Saturday afternoon with a 7-4 loss towards the Phillies. Aaron Boone elected to carry most of his starters again in Tampa with a split-squad state of affairs on Sunday.
Those who made the journey acquired their first in-game style of the pitch clock — designed to hurry up the tempo of play — and the brand new “oversized” bases that might be monitored all through the spring and early within the common season.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Gleyber Torres, Oswaldo Cabrera, Harrison Bader and Jasson Dominguez have been the notable names on the lineup card Saturday.
EARLY GLEYBER DAY
After an offseason of questioning his future with the membership, Torres began off his spring on the fitting foot. The second baseman doubled to left in his first at-bat and adopted it up with an opposite-field solo homer within the high of the third inning.
The 26-year-old — who was rumored to be in commerce discussions eventually 12 months’s deadline — nonetheless figures to be of essentially the most useful bats within the Bombers’ lineup. The Venezuelan native slashed .257/.310/.451 with 24 homers and 76 RBI final season.
After All-Star appearances in every of his first two seasons in 2018 and 2019, Torres hasn’t had the projected ascension after impressing popping out of the gate. However, he can quiet the noise this spring relating to one of many up-and-coming prospects — Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza — taking his spot.
MARTIAN VISITS THE MOON
The Yankees No. 2 prospect — Dominguez — took liftoff on Saturday. The 20-year-old demolished a first-pitch fastball deep to left-center area within the high of the fifth inning.
The swap hitter grounded out throughout his first at-bat swinging at a 3-0 pitch as a lefty however actually had a greater day from the fitting facet making fairly the impression in his first main league spring sport.
Dominguez is among the many non-roster invitees at camp and is the primary of their high prospects to get a crack at making an impression going 1-3 on the afternoon.
MLB Pipeline’s No. 47 prospect slashed .273/.376/.461 with 16 homers and 59 RBI in 120 video games between Low-A, High-A and Double-A final season.
POSITION BATTLES
The Bombers’ kicked off their extremely anticipated spring competitions throughout Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener. Kiner-Falefa led off taking part in shortstop and Cabrera was within the three-hole manning left area.
Both of the rivals discovered their manner into the hit column on the afternoon. Kiner-Falefa doubled within the high of the fifth and completed 1-3 whereas Cabrera went 1-2 with a stroll driving in two runs along with his fifth-inning single.
Kiner-Falefa is up towards stiff competitors with two of the group’s high three prospects in Volpe and Peraza competing to push via for a job within the majors. The 27-year-old performed 138 video games at shortstop for the Yanks final season.
Cabrera seems to be in a distinct state of affairs. Boone admitted that he sees the 23-year-old as extra of an infielder — as he overran a ball in left in the course of the backside of the fifth — designating Aaron Hicks because the doubtless candidate to patrol left area. However, ought to Cabrera have a powerful spring, the choice to depart him as a super-utility man might get harder.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Yankees will open up at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Sunday afternoon. Clarke Schmidt will get the ball marking his first alternative to win the fifth starter job towards the Braves at 1:05 p.m.
The membership may also ship one other squad to TD Ballpark in Dunedin towards the Blue Jays at 1:07 p.m.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com