TORONTO — The New York Yankees’ player of the game title belt was buckled around the seat in front of Jose Trevino’s locker late Wednesday night. Several of Trevino’s teammates would have warranted the honor, too.
There was Giancarlo Stanton’s solo blast that started the ninth-inning rally in the come-from-behind, 6-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. There was Juan Soto, who crushed a two-run homer, reached base in all five of his plate appearances and continues to be everything general manager Brian Cashman hoped for. And, of course, Aaron Judge broke the 4-4 tie when he smoked a full-count, bases-loaded single down the third-base line with two outs in the ninth, scoring two runs.
But Trevino received the white-and-gold belt for his pinch hit, RBI single with one out in the ninth that tied the game, setting the stage for the win that snapped the Yankees’ three-game losing streak and halted a sweep at the hands of their division rival.
“Just be ready whenever,” Trevino said of his approach in the crucial moment.
“Guy’s been on the bench, watching the game all day and then you throw him in there in the biggest spot and the biggest situation in the game and he comes up big for us,” Judge said.
ALL TIED UP IN TORONTO!#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/hb8XVZBwni
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 17, 2024
It was yet another feel-good moment to a strong start to the season for the Yankees, who at 13-6 sit atop the American League East.
Things have been going their way, though the team did start 12-7 through its first 19 games last year before injuries and ineffectiveness sank it to fourth place in the division.
Here are a few questions about the Yankees as they look to keep the good vibes going.
Can Soto stay hot?
The Yankees need Soto to keep this up. Of course, he won’t be hitting .352 at the end of the season (most likely). He’s also got a 1.055 OPS and eight multihit games this season. And he’s done it while starting every game in right field and playing it solidly (plus-1 outs above average). But it’s not just the production that’s stood out for the Yankees. It’s how comfortable he’s looked since donning pinstripes for the first time.
Observing Soto in the clubhouse and around the team, the 25-year-old has seemingly made fast friends with just about everyone, especially Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo. But after Judge’s ninth-inning heroics and after Soto was stranded on third base to end the inning, he sought out Judge, high-fiving him and palling around with the team captain on the field.
“What another dominant performance by Juan,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Soto sends one out 💪 pic.twitter.com/su3bvB4LMT
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 17, 2024
“I’m just focused on what I want to do, and I follow my plan and just don’t get out of my plan,” said Soto, who has been aided by the presence of assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler, an old friend.
He hasn’t been providing moments while on an island. He seems well integrated into the team that hopes to sign him to a long-term contract this winter.
Will Torres get going?
Boone felt relieved for a moment. After Stanton’s home run, he watched Torres keep the rally alive with a 101.9 mph ground-ball single up the middle. Torres had struck out swinging in all three of his at-bats before the hit, and he came into the game hitting just .206 and after making a crucial error in Tuesday’s loss.
“Offensively, I don’t worry about Gleyber,” Boone said. “But this many games in, we’re all human, you want to get results … he’s just too talented of a hitter to be held down.”
The Yankees moved Torres out of the leadoff spot after just 12 games — though Anthony Volpe’s hot start (.324 batting average) was also a key factor. The drop in the batting order didn’t much help Torres, who will be a free agent after this season. Maybe having success in the Yankees’ rally could spark something for the Venezuela native, who had a 118 OPS+ last season. (It was at 64 heading into Wednesday.)
Can they get more length from starters?
Call it nitpicking, especially since the Yankees’ bullpen will have a chance to rest thanks to Thursday’s off day. But before Marcus Stroman lasted 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs, on Wednesday, the team’s starting pitchers had averaged 5.18 innings per outing this season.
Marcus Stroman, Nasty 86mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/wS1jkX4rZ0
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 17, 2024
In an era when starting pitchers are being asked to do less with clubs placing a greater emphasis on their bullpens, maybe the Yankees can get away with it for a while longer. But they’re going to need more length from their starters. Only Nestor Cortes has given them at least seven innings in a start, and that happened once, when he went eight scoreless frames against the Miami Marlins on April 8.
When ace Gerrit Cole returns sometime in the summer, the Yankees will likely try to ride their workhorse as best they can while also managing the elbow injury that put him on the 60-day injured list to start the season.
Can they continue fighting late?
The Yankees have six comeback wins this year. They lost Tuesday by just a run. They fell Monday to the Blue Jays by two runs. They hold a plus-20 run differential, which is second best in the East behind the second-place Baltimore Orioles (plus-27) and the fourth best in the AL.
They rarely seem like they’re out of a game. Their at-bats can be a grind. The Yankees offense started Wednesday with the highest on-base percentage in the AL (.342) and the fourth highest in the majors. They led the sport with 7.9 plate appearances per walk — their most walks through their first 18 games of a season since 1999.
“We have (total) confidence,” Soto said. “We grind everyday. We play 27 outs.”
“I think it’s the confidence in each other,” Judge said. “We look around the room every single day in this clubhouse, a lot of dawgs, like (Verdugo) said. A lot of guys, they don’t quit. They have really good at-bats all the way to the end.”
(Photo of Juan Soto celebrating after hitting a double: Nick Turchiaro / USA Today)
