The New York Yankees will not be able to depend on the home run this year. At least not until outfielder Curtis Granderson — who hit a team-leading 43 home runs last season — returns from a fractured forearm that will keep him out of action for 10 weeks.
A perennially dominant home-run-hitting club, the Yankees are lacking in the power department this year. Superstar slugger Alex Rodriguez is out for at least the first half of the season, and outfielders Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones, catcher Russell Martin; and corner infielder Eric Chavez, are no longer with the team.
Including Granderson’s absence from the starting lineup, the Yankees are now without a group of players that accounted for 155 of the team’s 245 home runs in 2012. What’s left is first baseman Mark Teixeira and second baseman Robinson Cano to provide the big bat, and the current crop of predicted starters that feature even more guys capable of getting on base (i.e. third baseman Kevin Youkilis and outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Brett Gardner).
Within the league, the threat that any player in the Yankee lineup could belt in a home run whenever needed is seemingly gone. Granderson’s injury leaves a lot of question marks at bat and in left field, where he was likely to start.
One thing is for certain, however: the Yankees must change the way they do things at the plate. The home run is not as plausible an option with the group of players they have now. That means getting back to the basics and playing to their strengths. Unlike years past, in order to be successful New York will need to get on base and utilize speedsters like Ichiro and Gardner, as well as capable base runners like shortstop Derek Jeter and utility man Eduardo Nunez.
In 2012, the team struggled mightily getting runners into scoring position and they were consequently swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Tigers. Despite the notion that losing all their power will be devastating, the Bronx Bombers could actually improve offensively because of it.
Eliminating the assumption that home runs will always get them out of a jam could force the Yankees to improve their situational hitting — something they did not do during their postseason run — and therefore be more successful with runners in scoring position.
Granderson’s injury is a tough loss for the team. He has been key player the last couple of seasons, providing late-game hits to save the day. But his absence provides an escape from the customary approach that the Yankees have taken at the plate recently. If they can capitalize on it, they could elevate themselves and ensure their place as a legitimate title contender.
If they can’t, it could be a rough stretch of games before the outfielder returns. Even then, this season could prove difficult if New York can’t make the adjustments necessary to be successful in a league in which they are not considered to be one of the top teams.
Louis Musto is a contributor for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.