THERE'S A NEW LEADER IN THE YANKEE CLUBHOUSE!

I will admit, I was very skeptical of the trade that brought Josh Donaldson to the Bronx. I'm still not in love with it but it's already making one impact so it's something.

I still have reservations about picking up a 36-year-old shortstop with an extensive injury history but he's already making contributions that don't reflect in his own stats. It's always good to have some strong clubhouse leadership and Donaldson is proving to be a good mentor for Kyle Higashioka, you can check it out for yourself HERE.

Higashioka says he modeled his swing after Donaldson since as early as 2015, he found what did not work for him and has learned to tweak some of his mechanics, now he seeks him out just to get his advice on how to become a better hitter....and it's working.

Before yesterday's game Higashioka had a .467 BA in seven games and tied the MLB league lead with four hoe runs in spring training. Sure....it's just spring training and those stats "don't count" but who doesn't want to see Higashioka take his new found confidence into the regular season and build upon it. These are baby steps but important ones. Last season he had a .181 BA in 193 at bats with 29 RBI's and 10 home runs....I like to imagine how much better it could be with 400+ at bats and the mentoring of Donaldson. That would be a huge win for the Yankees.

I try not to get ahead of myself here, but what happens off of the field is just as important as what happens during game time. I always like to watch a good leader in action, and right now Donaldson is just that. 

If Donaldson can stay healthy, consistent on the field and help guys like Higashioka blosson then this would be a huge win for the Yankees. I hope Donaldson proves all of my doubts about him coming here wrong.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj