To say this season has been unusual would be an enormous understatement, and not just in terms of COVID-19 protocols and scheduling anomalies. In this compressed 2020 campaign, the Yankees have seen their form fluctuate wildly, from a dominant opening three weeks, to an equally long stretch of futility that was about as bleak as the Yankees have seen in recent memory, to the current moment, where they’re sharpening their knives as they head into the postseason while alternating between blowing teams out and getting blown out.
Injuries have featured prominently, of course, but that was also the case last year. In this incarnation, the Yankees haven’t been able to rely on the “next man up” nearly as much as they did in 2019. Simply put, the Yankees bench has been decidedly underwhelming, and that could be especially problematic in a postseason that will see each of the first three rounds played without the luxury of days off.
Postseason roster rules allow for 26 players, with a maximum of 13 pitchers. The Yankees, and every other team for that matter, will almost certainly max out their pitching staffs given the absence of days off. So in addition to the go-to starting nine, the team will likely carry a four-man bench.
Let’s assume the starting nine shakes out like this (not the lineup, just the positions):
Gary Sánchez, C
Luke Voit, 1B
DJ LeMahieu, 2B
Gleyber Torres, SS
Gio Urshela, 3B
Clint Frazier, LF
Aaron Hicks, CF
Aaron Judge, RF
Giancarlo Stanton, DH
Kyle Higashioka has acquitted himself well as backup catcher (especially important as Sánchez’s offensive struggles have troublingly dogged him for another season). Higgy has also effectively been appointed Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher, so he’s a lock for a spot.
Brett Gardner may have lost his starting outfield job to Frazier, but the Yankees’ elder statesman has done enough to earn his roster slot, with a 102 OPS+ and 0.3 bWAR in 46 games. (And with Aaron Boone’s desire to keep players like Judge, Stanton and Hicks fresh, Gardner should still see a fair amount of game time in October).
Tyler Wade appears to be a safe bet to be the utility infielder, though there was perhaps a moment during the season where Thairo Estrada could’ve inserted himself into the conversation. Neither has performed well in limited time. Wade sports a 64 OPS+ and 0.4 bWAR in 97 plate appearances (the bWAR is obviously bolstered by his defense and base-running); Estrada has a 29 OPS+ and -0.2 bWAR in 52 plate appearances. In many ways, this represents the crux of the Yankees’ bench issues: that Wade, with an OPS 36% below league average, is close to a lock for the postseason speaks to the roster tightrope the Yankees will be walking.
That’s even clearer when assessing the candidates for the final bench spot. Heading into this year, Yankees fans (myself included) were rightfully optimistic about Mike Tauchman and Mike Ford. Tauchman put up 3.8 bWAR in essentially half a season. He was a versatile outfielder who played good defense and, in Yankee Stadium, could provide more than enough pop as a fourth outfielder. Ford, in just 163 plate appearances, displayed power and patience that resulted in a 136 OPS+.
What’s happened to them this year? Let’s first issue the caveat that the small samples of this surreal season should be taken with a hefty dose of salt. Still, the numbers don’t paint a pretty picture for either Tauchman or Ford. After hitting 13 home runs in 296 plate appearances last year, Tauchman has precisely zero in 111 trips to the dish. He’s still getting on base at a decent clip (.348 OBP) but the lack of power has dragged down his OPS to .648 (83 OPS+). Ford’s line is even more depressing, as he’s slashed .135/.226/.270 with just two homers in 84 plate appearances.
With Gardner, Wade, Tauchman, and Ford all being lefties, it’s fair to wonder whether Aaron Boone would prefer to carry Miguel Andújar with the 26th roster spot just to give him the option of calling on a right-handed bat should the need arise. Of course, Andújar’s overall numbers lack yeast (74 OPS+ with one home run in 65 plate appearances) though you could make the case that he’s got the highest offensive upside of the Yankees’ bench options.
Should the alarm bells be ringing for the Yankees heading into the postseason? Not necessarily. Boone will aim to run out his go-to lineup as often as possible. But with the packed schedule and the club’s propensity for injuries, the Yankees may need their bench players to step up in key spots. They’ll need to be significantly better than they’ve shown this year in order to rise to the October challenge.