The Yankees are currently rolling as we get closer to the halfway point of the 2019 season, but who has been the MVP of the club so far?
The first half of Yankees baseball is wrapping up within the next couple of weeks. The Yankees are 21 games over .500 and have really surprised us this year. From start to finish, the lineup has been nothing short of a home run. So far the Bronx Bombers have had 16 players on the IL, but that has not stopped the young studs from taking on the roles and helping this team win.
During free agency, many superstars like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper were available to sign but the Yankees went the other route and signed players that can cover every weakness the team has over the years. Before I go into who’s the MVP of the team, two runner ups in the category are Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez.
Gleyber Torres has been special with the Yankees ever since he was called up. Everything you would expect out of a player, Gleyber has every quality. This season, Torres has had numerous multi-home run games and has come up clutch in many important series. In 2019, Torres is batting well near .300 with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs. In three straight games, Torres hit his first career grand slam and in these last two games against Houston, he has two home runs and five RBIs. We’ll see what the second half brings for the 2019 all-star.
Another player who is having a bounce-back season this year is “The Kraken” himself Gary Sanchez. Earlier in the year, Sanchez hit the IL after suffering a left calf strain. When Gary returned to the lineup, he has been showing everybody the player he’s been when he got called up a couple of years back. Gary is tied for most home runs in the American League alongside teammate Edwin Encarnacion. After hitting .186 and dealing with plenty of injuries last year, Gary is, in fact, proving all his doubters wrong. Being a finalist for the All-Star Game this year and also in contention for American League MVP, Sanchez’s hot season won’t cool off.
Lastly, after talking about both Sanchez and Torres, there’s one player who has really earned his pinstripes. Yankees got him on a good deal this offseason and he’s earned the nickname, “The Machine”. That’s right, I’m talking about DJ LeMahieu. When it comes down to hitting and fielding, DJ has come up clutch in many games. One of his key components so far has been driving in runs with RISP. Batting .314 with 89 hits and 48 RBI’s, DJ has certainly in my opinion been the MVP of this team so far. This team is loaded with talent that it’s very difficult to choose between everybody. With another half to play, will see which Yankee helps guide this team to a championship.