The Yankees lost to the Orioles, 7-2, Thursday afternoon in Baltimore, meaning the Orioles took three of four in the series. In light of some recent issues, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked about the lineup construction, namely Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, after the game.
Aaron Boone, via the @YESNetwork, when asked if he would consider flipping Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in the lineup: "We'll see."
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) May 2, 2024
Soto has hit second every single game this season and is slashing .331/.441/.589 while Judge has been in the three-hole every single game and is hitting .197/.331/.393. I suppose the theory behind swapping them is to have Soto protecting Judge and possibly getting him better pitches to hit. Also, sometimes people feel like "shaking things up" could help.
Though the Yankees sit 20-12, there are concerns on offense. They just scored six total runs in four games against their chief AL East competition. They exploded for 30 runs in a three-game series in Milwaukee before that, but there have been inconsistencies in "boom-or-bust" fashion. Part of the problem has been Judge's slow start.
After winning MVP in 2022 when he had 62 homers and 131 RBI while also leading the majors in on-base percentage, walks, slugging, OPS and OPS, Judge clubbed 37 homers with 75 RBI in just 106 games last season. He was off to an MVP-like start before a big toe injury hampered him the rest of the season.
Through 33 games this year, Judge has six homers and 18 RBI, but he's struck out 40 times in 122 at-bats and the batting average is a problem.
Soto, on the other hand, is playing like an MVP for his new team in his contract year.
The Yankees are 20-12 and only one game behind the Orioles in the AL East. By no means is this time for a panic or anything, but changing lineup spots of two superstars isn't a drastic move, either.
The Yankees start a six-game homestand against the Tigers on Friday with the Astros to follow.
