Yankees Projected Lineup 2019

1. Aaron Hicks-CF- Hicks would have the most experience at the leadoff position for the Yankees. He made thirty one starts in 2018 and seventy eight overall in his career. He has speed on the basepaths, and has greatly improved his selectivity at the plate along with on base ability make the most sense for the club at the one spot. 2018 Stats: .248 BA,  27 HR, 79 RBI, 137 AB, 480 AB, .833 OPS.

2. Aaron Judge-RF- Judge is the most feared hitter in the lineup and the most valuable offensively. The number two spot is the most logical option for him because of how comfortable he is in that position. 2018 Stats: .278 BA, 27 HR, 67 RBI, 112 Games Played, 413 AB, .919 OPS.

3. Gary Sanchez-C-“The Kraken” had one his worst seasons behind the plate as well as production wise. But the Yankees still see him as the starting catcher for the club, in hopes of repeating his performance in 2017. 2018 Stats: .186 BA, 18 HR, 53 RBI, 89 Games Played, 323 AB, .697 OPS.

4. Giancarlo Stanton- LF- This makes the most sense because of how powerful he is, most notably with runners on base. He has plenty of protection both in front of him and behind him. When batting in this spot last season he batted .321 with twenty one long balls and fifty seven runs batted in seventy one games. 2018 Stats: .266 BA, 38 HR, 100 RBI, 158 Games, 617 AB, .852 OPS.

5. Miguel Andujar- 3B- Despite Didi Gregorius recovering from Tommy John surgery until the summer, this is the most ideal slot for Miggy. This also impacts where newly signed Troy Tulowitzki and DJ Lemahieu fit in from an offensive standpoint. But Andujar has incredible pop and finished only second in Rookie of the Year voting. 2018 Stats: .297 BA, 27 HR, 149 Games, 573 AB, .855 OPS.

6. Gleyber Torres-2B- Tbis would have been the most impactful if Machado ended up in pinstripes. But Torres is able to get on base for the power bats the second time through the lineup would be a positive sign for the team. 2018 Stats: .271 BA, 27 HR, 77 RBI, 123 Games, 431 AB, .820 OPS.

7. Luke Voit/Greg Bird-1B- This would be a toss up between these two guys. Bird spent most of last year on the disabled list and wasn’t very impactful when he got the start. On the other hand, Voit stepped up a couple times with the game on the line and should be the starting first baseman. They saw his potential when he played Triple A ball with the Cardinals, and viewed him as , an underrated bat. Voit 2018 Stats: .333 BA, 14 HR, 33 RBI, 1.095 OPS.

8. Brett Gardner-DH-Gardy should platoon between the DH and outfield spots when starting. He provides so much both on the field and off it as well. He provides depth in the outfield and a natural leader in the clubhouse, especially with Gregorius out for a long period of time . 2018 Stats: .236 BA, 12 HR, 45 RBI, .690 OPS.

9. Troy Tulowitzki-SS- This was a risky signing by New York as Tulo has been quite injury prone the last few seasons. But again with Didi down, they needed a shortstop to fill the gap until he returns. This is a low risk move for the club as they hope he can find his baseball talents when he started his career. Also, he would likely platoon with Lemahieu who can fill multiple spots in the lineup defensively.