Yankees' Aaron Hicks Continues Strong Start to Season, Shining in Leadoff Spot
BALTIMORE — Coming off a lost season in 2021, center fielder Aaron Hicks was a huge question mark for the Yankees entering play this year.
Could the outfielder stay healthy? Even if he did, what type of numbers would the veteran switch-hitter produce?
If Hicks' performance through the first nine games of the season is any indication, the 32-year-old is going to be a resource for this club in 2022.
Hicks made his first appearance of the season in the leadoff spot on Saturday night, reaching base in four of his five trips to the plate in a 5-2 win over the Orioles.
The center fielder began the game with a single, adding another base knock later in the contest to go along with a walk, fielder's choice and sacrifice bunt.
It's a small sample size, but it's hard to ignore the numbers that Hicks has produced thus far. Through nine games, the outfielder leads the Yankees, hitting .348 (8-for-23). You can add two runs scored, one homer, five walks, a .464 on base percentage and a .942 OPS to his early season stat totals.
"I think he's been pretty good so far," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Saturday's game. "He’s certainly getting his hits, he's gotten on base, he hit a big homer for us a few days ago. I think going to play winter ball for him was valuable and helpful, giving him a little confidence heading into the winter as far as getting some game reps under his belt and making sure that the wrist was good to go. And then in spring training, I thought he handled the volume well. He was really working and grinding and he wanted to get as many at-bats as he can. So I feel like he's in a pretty good spot right now."
Hicks had his fingerprints on Saturday night's ballgame from the get-go.
The center fielder singled on the third pitch of the game from Orioles right-hander Tyler Wells. Sure, Hicks was erased a few pitches later while trying to steal third—a blunder on the base paths that led to a conversation with Boone in New York's dugout—but he made up for it over the next eight frames.
"I saw an opportunity there," Hicks said of the blunder on the bases. "I was trying to get to third and he held a lot longer than I thought he would and just was a little too aggressive, but I'd rather be aggressive than be passive. It didn't work out today. It might work out tomorrow."
Boone agreed that Hicks made a mistake, but the story of the night was New York's offensive outburst in the fifth inning coming out of a rain delay, not Hicks' overly-aggressive decision in the top of the first.
Asked if he'll use Hicks as the leadoff man again, Boone didn't commit to anything, alluding to matchups playing a role in his lineup-related decisions. Nonetheless, he was very pleased with Hicks' production out of that spot on Saturday.
"Obviously we got left tomorrow but yeah, I was pleased with the quality of his at-bats, kind of setting the tone there up at the top for us," Boone explained. "So yeah, he's always a candidate for that."
MORE:
- Josh Donaldson Crushes First Home Run With Yankees
- Why Aaron Boone Says Not to Panic About Yankees' RISP, Offensive Woes
- Yankees Weigh in on Controversial Call That Led to Walk-Off Loss in Baltimore
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