Yankees Monday Mailbag 8/17: Heliot Ramos' Underwhelming Start, Scoring Struggles, and Xavier Rivas

Could Heilot Ramos get the axe once Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger return to the field is just one question that headlines this week's mailbag.

New York Yankees left fielder Heliot Ramos has struggled to find his groove at the plate in the Bronx. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees have reinforcements coming, and with the offense historically struggling, the return of Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge can't come any sooner. Bellinger will be back before Judge, so hopefully, with him in there, he can provide something of a boost, because this team can't consistently hit from one game to the next.

There are plenty of questions from fans about what the roster should look like soon, and if you're curious about that, reach out to Joseph Randazzo on X or Instagram at @YankeeLibrarian. Fans can ask anything, from questions about Anthony Volpe to questions about up-and-coming prospects.

Here are this week's queries!

A pair of underwhelming outfielders

If Heliot Ramos and Trent Grisham are on this team when Cody Bellinger gets back, it will be mind-boggling.

@miked3199 on Instagram

Grisham isn't going anywhere. He's also the only guy who is hitting. Grisham's two-hit game against the Chicago White Sox seems like a turning point because since then, he's slashing .262/.286/.590 with five home runs and five doubles. No one else is offering this type of production.

As for Ramos, the trade hasn't worked out so far, but he is under control until 2030, and they traded legitimate prospects for him. Henry Lalane and Kaeden Kent weren't top prospects in the league, but they weren't exactly chump change either. Lalane's arm has upside, even if he does end up just being a reliever. There's no way they're cutting bait after a handful of plate appearances. Ramos will likely head to the bench.

Reasons for a tepid offense

Why is the offense so bad with runners in scoring position? Aaron Judge can't be the only reason they forgot to hit?

@76_elbarto on Instagram

The meat of the lineup was supposed to be Judge, Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton. Even if Stanton is taken out of the equation, Judge and Bellinger still leave a big hole with both being out. That is about 70 home runs on the IL.

Their offense should take a hit, but if there are two names to point to as to why things aren't rolling the way they should be, it's probably Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Grisham. Grisham is finally turning things around, but Chisholm Jr. hasn't had an extended run of productive offense since before the summer. Chisholm Jr. slashed .281/.352/.448 in May, but outside of that, he has been underwhelming.

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has had an up-and-down season at the plate. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ben Rice should get some blame time too — not counting that big home run in the 10th against the Blue Jays on Sunday. Chalk that one up to a young player with no protection in the lineup.

Outside of these three, Josè Caballero, Austin Wells, and Ryan McMahon just haven't been very good, so when you combine all of this, it's going to result in empty innings.

A prospect waiting in the wings

Thoughts on Xavier Rivas?

@evanspiegel999_ on Instagram

Rivas is a crafty southpaw who doesn't throw hard, but can still get a ton of strikeouts. He struck out 114 batters in 81.1 innings. He feels like he could get the role Tim Hill has in the bullpen by next year.

A struggling slugger

How concerning are Ben Rice's current struggles?

@theezratakeshita on Instagram

That home run against the Blue Jays in the tenth inning was huge. Since Judge went down, though, he has been pretty bad. He's slashing .206/.300/.433. According to FanGraphs, that's good for a 105 wRC+, but 5% better than league average isn't what the Yankees need from him.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is going through his own struggles at the plate without Aaron Judge in the lineup. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It does feel like this is a player who isn't seeing anything since he doesn't have much help in that lineup. At various points, he has been protected by Max Schuemann, who isn't in the big leagues right now, so that doesn't help matters. But if he is still pressing by the time the big boppers are back, it's fair to be concerned.

A potential new second baseman filled by an old face

Will Anthony Volpe be back on the big league team?

@Mattman1199 on Instagram

Most won't be happy to hear this, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Yankees called up Volpe to play second base. Right now, the Yankees have Caballero filling that role, since Chisholm has essentially been relegated to a platoon bat. So if he struggles, Volpe has a chance to be the next man up.

My favorite all-time player

Who's your all-time favorite player?

@lindagaccio66 on Instagram

In the summer of 2008, I was pretty locked in to what CC Sabathia was doing with the Milwaukee Brewers. He shot up as one of my all-time favorites then, and that grew when he came to the Yankees. Most people my age would say Derek Jeter, but for me it's Sabathia, hands down.

Get Yankees On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.