FanPost

Open Writer Position - Piece 2 - Biggest Weakness: Committing to Potential

No team is perfect, but the 2018 Yankees are one of the leagues best. The roster includes a bonafide ace, young burgeoning stars at shortstop, catcher and right field, last year’s home run champ, a lethal bullpen, two Rookie of the Year candidates and strong veteran leadership. A month and a half into the season, the first year manager has the trust of his players and has pushed more right buttons than wrong ones. The front office has made strong moves to build a deep farm system that’s already yielded great results with more sure to come.

When forced to look at weaknesses with the team, some sprout up fairly quickly, injuries, slumping players, Ellsbury, and lingering questions about the starting rotation. Even with those concerns, the Yankees are thriving and are working to right the problem areas. When I truly think about real weaknesses for the team, what comes to mind isn’t immediately pressing. I think the biggest weakness with this team is that as of now they have fully committed two starting positions to players that still have a lot of variables to work out; first baseman Greg Bird and center fielder Aaron Hicks. Now listen, this isn’t me looking for something to hate, I really like both players and want them to succeed like every other Yankee; this is more just stating my observations. Since Bird was promoted in 2015 and Hicks was acquired in 2016, the organization has championed them and how they can positively impact the team. While each player has a high ceiling, that ceiling comes with a caveat.

Caveat number 1; Greg Bird Staying healthy. A strong rookie cameo showed he belonged in the majors, but unfortunately we have yet to see him for a full season. He’s played in only 94 regular season games since his 2015 call up. We know he can swing with the rest of this lineup; Didi’s 3-spot in the batting order was supposed to be his. Injuries happen in sports and they’re always disappointing, but happening so often before you turn 26 isn’t ideal. Being known as the guy, "that’s great when he’s healthy", isn’t the best reputation to have in on your team. If his trips to the DL continue at this rate, they may get tired of waiting for him to be fully healthy and have to move on.

Caveat number 2; Aaron Hicks’ consistency. When you watch him play it’s obvious that he has the talent, but he hasn’t fully come into the spotlight through the course of a full season. After he was traded from Minnesota there have been streaks when we see his potential realized, but so far his Yankee career has been more stops than starts. Last season was his most impressive year, but even then he only played in 88 regular season games and was mostly in the background during the playoffs.

I think when the front office acquired Hicks they were hoping for a Bernie Williams level of consistency to be present in the heart of the order. However, when healthy he seems more reminiscent of a young Melky Cabrera from his Yankee tenure. There’s nothing wrong with Melky; he was a great fielder and a solid 8 or 9 hitter, but he was no Bernie. With the outfield already crowded, and the farm system stacked, the front office doesn’t have to wait forever for Hicks to put it all together. Red Thunder is chomping at the bit to get back to the majors, and there are a few free agents I’m sure would love a call from New York if Hicks can’t pull his weight.

Having said all of this, both players are still young enough to turn it around and quiet any uncertainties. The question is, after the years we have seen of them, can we expect more? Are their current statuses what they will be going forward? Will the Yankees continue to commit to their potential?

FanPosts are user-created content and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Pinstripe Alley writing staff or SB Nation.