Through the All-Star break, Didi Gregorius was the Yankees’ best overall player, in addition to being its most entertaining, on a roster that at the time seemed past its prime and rather mundane. That narrative has shifted somewhat, both because of the emergence of the Baby Bombers featuring Gary Sanchez, and due to the struggles that have found Gregorius during the second half of the season.
Gregorius ended the first half with a slash line of .298/.328/.468, mashing 11 home runs along the way. Thus far through the season’s second half, Gregorius has hit just .235/.261/.405, and has already struck out more times (41 in 212 appearances) than he did prior to the All Star break (35 in 317 plate appearances).
September has been particularly rough on Gregorius, as he has just three hits in 37 plate appearances so far this month. Clearly, Gregorius is not playing as well as he is capable of playing, and health may play a role in his diminished performance. Joe Girardi announced on Monday that Gregorius was “really beat up.” As a result, he was held out of the lineup on Monday, and could be given the day off on Tuesday as well.
Gregorius has played in 135 of the team’s 142 games this season, heading into Monday night’s action. Only Starlin Castro, having appeared in 140 games, has played more games this season for the Pinstripers.
Part of the difficulty in finding time to sit Gregorius is the value he brings to the field with his glove, even when he is struggling at the plate. While some fielding metrics have not been particularly kind to Gregorius this season, he has received high marks on defensive analytics in the past, and is noted for his range and exceptionally strong throwing arm.
In addition, Gregorius actually has hit lefties (.804 OPS) better than righties (.721) this season, which means he is not an obvious candidate for a day off against southpaws as many left-handed hitters might be.
Taken together, the facets of Gregorius’ game that make him so tough to take off the field simultaneously reflect his value to the team when he is penciled into the lineup. Although he was not an All Star-this year, Gregorius’ numbers at the break were comparable to those of Francisco Lindor, Xander Bogaerts, and Addison Russell, all of whom represented their respective franchises at the Midsummer Classic.
Along with Sanchez, the Yankees hope that Gregorius can lead a youth movement that is strong both up the middle and stellar on both sides of the baseball. That is the future of the franchise for 2017 and beyond.
But in the present moment, for the Yankees to realize their improbable playoff dreams, they need Gregorius to turn back the clock to the early summer, when his defensive chops and extra-base power were regularly on display. Whether he is hurt, tired, or just in a funk offensively, Gregorius is too important to struggle if the Yankees want to continue their improbable run.