WABC-Twitter-Template-2022-07-11T095336.094
When the Yankees acquired Josh Donaldson and IKF from the Twins, it immediately upgraded the team. They got two great defenders, and Donaldson, who’s been known for his hitting, brought polarizing upside for the offense. He has been playing great defense all season but, his bat was slow to start the year. As of late though, Donaldson has been fitting right in with the rest of the Yankees sluggers and his bat is starting to catch fire.
In the month of April, Donaldson hit .203, with a .691 OPS, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, and 12 walks. In the Month of May, he took a slight jump in stats. He hit for .279, with an OPS of .846, and only 13 strikeouts. Then when June rolled around, that is when his struggles really peaked. In all of June, Donaldson saw 83 at-bats and hit for only .205, with a .599 OPS, 7 RBIs, 1 home run, and 28 strikeouts. While his hitting was not terrible, it wasn’t too good either. Already over a week into July, and Donaldson has been on fire. The Bringer of Rain is batting .280, with 10 RBI’s, 3 home runs and a .976 OPS. He has a home run in three straight games, one of which was in grand-slam fashion against the Red Sox in Fenway.
Thanks to an opening day walk-off single, Donaldson has become one of the more liked players among the fanbase since the beginning of the season. It also helps that he brings straight up swagger to a team that has some incredibly talented players but, none that really stand out personality wise. When Donaldson pimps a home run, you can’t help but get hype as a Yankee fan. It energizes the whole team, which Manager Aaron Boone has to love. The Bringer of Rain also currently owns one of the coldest bat-drops in the game. Fortunately for fans, it has been on display a lot so far in July. When you are having a very successful season like the Yankees are thus far, you become the enemy of the league. You need chippy players with an attitude like Donaldson, especially in the post-season.
The Yankees own a wild 61-25 record, with a 14 game lead in their division, ahead of the All-Star break. All of that while players like Donaldson, Hicks and Gallo struggled hitting to start the year. If Donaldson, who’s hitting .241, with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs in his last seven games, can stay hot through the All-Star break, the Yankees become even scarier. The key seems to be staying ahead in the count for him. This season when he is ahead, he’s slashing .323, with a crazy 1.183 OPS, 5 home runs, and 12 out of his 32 RBIs.
