MLB Insider: Yankees Should Consider Batting Joey Gallo Leadoff
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This MLB insider has a solution to Joey Gallo's struggles at the plate in pinstripes.
ESPN's Buster Olney ranked Gallo fourth among the top-10 left fielders in Major League Baseball this week. In his analysis, Olney explained that Gallo would benefit from fewer pressure-filled situations where he has runners on base.
In other words, he believes New York should consider using Gallo in the leadoff spot in 2022.
Here's Olney's take on the situation:
The Yankees should consider putting him in the leadoff spot and encourage him to just do what he does best, which is to get on base. He had a .379 OBP with the Rangers at the time the Yankees acquired him, and by batting him in the No. 1 spot -- or one of the bottom three spots -- Aaron Boone could rescue him from having to bat with runners in scoring position early in games, moments that fueled the boos he heard. Last season, Gallo hit .162 with runners on base, .240 when he led off innings. The first part of the 2022 season could be crucial in determining whether Gallo is a fit for the market or, like Sonny Gray, might be more comfortable elsewhere.
Over 58 games with the Yankees in 2021, after he was acquired before the trade deadline, Gallo posted a slash line of .160/.303/.404. He struck out 88 times, clubbing a total of 13 home runs.
As Olney alluded to, Gallo's numbers did improve when he was in the box with nobody on base. In fact, only five of his 13 homers came with runners on. His final six long balls of the season were solo shots.
With half a season in the Bronx under his belt, odds are Gallo's numbers will even out and resemble the production Rangers fans witnessed during his time in Texas. His advanced metrics show that he has what it takes to dominate with the Yankees—his plate discipline and power are elite, plain and simple—but he still has to prove that he can put it together in pinstripes.
READ: Yankees Bold Predictions For 2022 Season
Gallo isn't a prototypical leadoff man. He didn't steal a single base for the Yankees last year, swiping six bags with the Rangers before the midseason trade. But those traditional roles are changing in today's MLB. For a team that is lacking speed and doesn't run their offense through small ball, letting Gallo hit leadoff is at least worth a try. After all, he does get on base. Gallo led the league with 111 walks last year and his 18% walk rate was in the league's 99th percentile.
Then again, having Gallo as a threat in the middle of the order to put multiple runs on the board with one swing would be valuable as well. If he can get back to mashing in 2022, Gallo would be poised to do significant damage in the middle of the order, flanked by Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and more.
Speaking of Judge, Olney ranked the star fourth among the top-10 right fielders (one spot ahead of Mookie Betts). Olney's top left and right fielders are Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves and Tyler O'Neill of the Cardinals respectively.
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