Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/13/23

MLB.com | Brent Maguire: Gerrit Cole is as steady as they come, and the main reason for that is his four-seam fastball. Through the first half (kinda) of the season, no pitch has accumulated more run value in baseball, according to Statcast. Accumulating run value comes from a combination of effectiveness and volume. As most fans know, Cole has no fear in using his four-seamer over and over again. This year, it has been the best in the league.

New York Post | Peter Botte: The New York Yankees have joined 12 other teams in adding a sponsored patch to their uniform. The classic, mostly-untouched jerseys are no more. Honestly, it looks like any other patch that they’ve added to a uniform and isn’t too disruptive. Some purists might be angry, but it was unfortunately only a matter of time; it’d be a surprise if any of the 30 teams aren’t sponsored five years from now.

SNY | Andy Martino: The trade deadline is approaching, and the Yankees are in need of both an outfielder and third baseman if they hope to be a championship contender. Martino reports that Roderick Arias, not Oswald Peraza, has been a common name floated in potential trade talks. The top 2022 international free agent signee is talented, but he is so far from the big leagues down in Rookie ball. If the team can acquire an impact bat for the 18-year-old, they should not hesitate.

Baseball Prospectus | Jeffrey Paternostro and Jarrett Seidler: Yankees hitting prospects haven’t been particularly impressive this year. Many are performing worse than in 2022, and Baseball Prospectus’ midseason Top 50 update reflects that (this is behind a paywall but worth discussing). Spencer Jones (No. 46) is the only player to appear on the list and he is currently running a 31.4-percent strikeout rate at Hudson Valley. More midseason lists will trickle out over the next few weeks – that will give the public a better indication of whether the team is in need of a hitting development overhaul.

New York Times | Tyler Kepner: The latest trivia game among baseball fans is “Immaculate Grid,” which was created by software engineer Brian Minter and recently acquired by Baseball Reference. It’s a simple concept, as you’re trying to name nine players who each meet two different criteria (played for the Yankees and Dodgers, played for the Mets and won the Cy Young, etc.). This is the story behind it and how it’s even crept into clubhouses around the game, too. It’s free to play and updates every day, so give it a try!