LUKE VOIT JUST MIGHT BE THE YANKEES' LATEST ASSET

The Yankees may have found their best first baseman in Luke Voit now that's he's recovered from a severe injury. 

This discussion came after Pete Alonso broke the record for home runs made by a Major League rookie. 

Due to Alonso's success as a first baseman on the Mets, he has been compared to his Yankee counterpart, whose pre-injury performance has now made him a valuable asset. Voit was never considered an elite prospect early in his career, as he was a 22nd round draft pick. In contrast, Alonso was a first-round pick and was frequently part of the top-100 prospects list. 

However, Voit started his run with the Yankees by hitting .296/.396/.565 in his first 117 games. His progress came to a halt after Voit experienced great physical distress during the Yankees series in London last year. He was later diagnosed with a severe abdominal injury that wasn't recognized until the 2019 season had finished. 

While Alonso continued to perform spectacularly as Voit was recovering, the latter arguably surpassed his rival since joining the Yankees. Voit not only gave an outstanding performance in his first couple of months, but followed up his 2018 season with 140 wRC+ the next year before his injury. 

On the other hand, Alonso did improve since his time in the minor leagues, when a 2018 Baseball America scouting report called him an "uncoordinated, slow-bodied defender." He is still slightly below average in many aspects, but his improved performance keeps him on par with Voit. 

With the baseball season finally returning this summer, fans will see whether or not Voit will surpass Alonso once again now that he's recovered. Either way, this battle of first basemen will present an entertaining rivalry for those watching them play this season.

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando