Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/3/23

New York Post | Dan Martin: It looked bleak for Aaron Hicks at the end of his Yankees tenure. He was a shell of the Hicks who put up a 4.3 fWAR season in 2018. But since joining the Orioles after New York cut ties with him, it is Aaron Hicks resurgence season. The Yankees will get their first look at him this week, as Baltimore comes to the Bronx. Hicks, meanwhile, seems to have nothing but good things to say about the Yankees and Aaron Boone. And we’ll always have the catch of the year to win the game of the year in 2019.

MLB.com | Stephanie Sheehan: Have a game, Tyler Hardman. The 24-year-old righty, who represented the Yankees in the Arizona Fall League in 2022, is having himself quite the 2023 campaign at Double-A Somerset. And over the weekend, he provided his performance of the year (so far). Three home runs in one game! That puts him three away from matching his 2022 total, in 54 fewer games.

Sports Illustrated | Brady Farkas: Remember the bad old days when Anthony Volpe looked absolutely lost at the plate? He’s making it look like a thing of the past over the past week. Heading into Sunday, he’d racked up five consecutive multi-hit games. That’s neat. But the sub-Mendoza line batting average he had when he started the streak makes it even more impressive. He entered the stretch hitting .195. That’s the lowest batting average ever (min 250 PA) prior to putting together a multi-hit games streak. After play on Sunday, he now sits at .221/.296/.386 with a 90 wRC+. Improvement.

ESPN | David Schoenfield: With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, ESPN surveyed all 30 teams and noted the one player each should either trade away or trade for. When it came to the Yankees, the suggestion is acquiring Lane Thomas from Washington. The right-handed outfielder is hitting to the tune of a 132 wRC+ and has two more years of team control. Add another name to the list of those to watch.