The Yankees’ spring training is about to begin in less than two weeks. During a phone interview with The Athletic, the team’s hitting coach praised the commitment of Harrison Bader and the focused training by his Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza. Dillon Lawson also spoke about the fitness of DJ LeMahieu while expecting Aaron Judge to have another great season.
Bader means business
Harrison Bader, the Yankees’ center fielder, went to the Yankees’ player development complex for the first time last Wednesday. He came to the Bronx in a walking boot because of plantar fasciitis and this raised the eyebrows of many fans. But, during the playoffs, Bader hit five home runs in nine games and silenced all.
Harrison Bader is doing everything possible to become ready for the next season and is excited about it. The player who the Yankees acquired at the trade deadline is likely to be very important in 2023. Bader is thought to be one of the best defensive outfielders in the league. This is an area of the field where the Yankees had trouble last year.
At the Yankees’ player development complex, he did hitting practice alongside DJ LeMahieu, who was recovering from an injury. This was a continuation of the work he’d been doing all winter, a lot of which had been about making swing decisions.
When asked about him Lawson told:
“Can we bottle up what it was like to be in the playoffs? It isn’t that he hasn’t done stuff like that before, but we know that he was hurt for a large chunk of that 2022 season, even before we got him. … But the pitch selection, I think, is going to allow for everything else to play up. He’s a physical guy. He’s strong. He’s twitchy. He understands what he wants to accomplish and what kind of hitter he can be and it’s really just a matter of getting him the right pitches so, that way, everything else falls right into place.”
LeMahieu is ready to return to the Yankees roster
LeMahieu has been hitting, running, and working on defense at the player development complex all the time. The 34-year-old is one of the Yankees’ most reliable bats at the top of the order.
Lawson is excited to see him back. The hitting coach said that LeMahieu’s bat speed and swing seem to be back to where they were before he got hurt. According to him:
“He’s always had a really good knack for the strike zone and obviously for contact. Last year with the injury, he couldn’t load the way he wanted to, couldn’t stay on the back side when he was getting into the way he started rotating into impact. None of that is there now. He’s, at minimum, back and maybe a tick beyond that.”
“I’ve got to assume that he’s excited — to think how excited I am about it, it’s probably two or three times that for him, knowing what he was dealing with last year. It’s just the peace of mind to be able to get back to feeling good and then build off of that.”
Aaron Judge continues to excel
Lawson is hopeful that the Yankees captain, who is striving hard to improve every season, will have another great season. He said:
“He wants to get better. ‘What do you have for me?,’ he asks you all the time. He’ll ask, ‘What do you think was going on with this stretch?’ Picking some things apart and making sure where our sights are aimed this year, making sure we’re in the right direction. We want to maintain those strengths, maintain that performance, as difficult as that may be, and then take another step forward. Is that possible? I think it is with him, for sure.”
Donaldson is on the right track
The Yankees’ third baseman, Josh Donaldson, is working hard and using up all his resources to try to get back to his best. Cashman has already chosen the 34-year-old to start at third base for the team next season. He still has at least one year and $27 million on his contract though many expect the Yankees to trade him.
According to Lawson:
“For a guy who’s had as long a career as he has and has done offensive things you know he’s done, the fact that he’s still motivated says a lot about him as a person. I have no doubt that he will have a good season.”
Volpe stays focused to become the Yankees’ shortstop
Anthony Volpe is making a serious push to play in the MLB after Cashman sounded out to him about the chance to become Yankees Opening Day shortstop. The 21-year-old works hard to be in regular-season shape as the spring training schedule nears.
Lawson said that Volpe’s steady rise through the minor leagues was due to his work ethic and his ability to change his swing. Now, game planning will be even more important.
About Volpe, Lawson told:
“He’s very serious about the things he wants to do this year. He isn’t tense. When it comes to being challenged, he’s up for anything.”
Peraza continues to impress the Yankees brass
When Peraza first played for the Yankees in September, he made it a point not to get in the way of anyone. The player often cut short his pregame work because he didn’t want to mess up the routines of other big stars. Eventually, the Yankees made it clear to him that his growth was also important. It might have been the only sign that Peraza’s move to the big leagues wasn’t as smooth as it could have been.
After making a good first impression, Peraza hasn’t slowed down. Lawson said that the right-handed batter has been FaceTiming and sending videos of his work to the Yankees coaches every day.
“He has the exit (velocities),” Lawson said. “He has the contact and the bat-to-ball skills. For him, it’s refining his plate discipline and making sure that the ball flight is good. More often than not, it’s happening in a way that’s getting good results. It’s not only when he squares it up. When he mishits it or makes mistakes, he is able to have good results, even when his timing isn’t perfect.”
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