I remember when the Yankees gave DJ LeMahieu his payday. I was all for it. He carried this team, despite their injuries, subpar defense and inability to hit with runners in scoring position. Those days seem so long ago as the Yankees continue to tear up the American League with the best record in baseball. Of course one of the top contributors to this team's success is LeMahieu and one of the worst has to be Joey Gallo. In a recent interview Gallo addressed the regular boos he hears with each at bat. And guess what he said?
“This is what happens all the time when you’re slumping,” Gallo said, glancing at his locker neighbor. “I wish I was DJ LeMahieu. I don’t get how he hits the ball so much. A lot of times, I wish I was a contact hitter, but I’m playing the hand that I was dealt,” reported NJ.com. That's pretty blunt, reflective, but surely blunt. Not that he is wrong. He has never been a career baller, but honestly LeMahieu had his most success in his career right here in New York.
"As expected, he’s healthy and doing exactly what the Yankees hoped he’d do when they initially signed him as a free agent. (Coming into last night's game) LeMahieu has played 32 games, split among second, third and first. And in his 132 plate appearances, he has a .758 OPS," reported The New York Post.
Gallo on the other hand has performed far beyond expectations since replacing Brett Gardner in left field. "Gallo says he avoids looking up at scoreboards because his average usually is among the lowest of any player who gets regular at-bats. He has hit as high as .210 just once since reaching the big leagues in 2015, finished below .200 two seasons in a row, and 32 games into this season he is hitting .191, thanks to a recent surge. Yankees fans, frustrated by the strikeouts, have booed him regularly," reported NJ.com. Hence provoking Gallo to answer to his boos with a reality check—he is no LeMahieu.
"A 6-foot-5, 250-pounder, Gallo was a big kid who always swung hard and for the fences. Growing up in Las Vegas, he hit a lot of long home runs, but when you combine a big strike zone and a long swing, there will be strikeouts. Gallo said he often has attempted to alter his swing and his approach at the plate in hopes of sacrificing a little power for more contact," reported NJ.com.
With the team winning, Gallo's lack of contribution at the plate is been mostly overlooked. If the Yankees were falling fiercely, there would be more of a spotlight on the left fielder. Still, the front office has a lot of hope in Gallo and his ability to perform at a higher level than what we are currently seeing.
“He’s a really talented player,” Cashman said. “He has a chance every time he’s at the plate to change whatever’s happened prior. The fact that we’re winning our games as much as we have, there’s a lot of gas in that tank in terms of contribution that I think is still there for us to be had," reported NJ.com.
Gallo I have a piece of advice for you—Don't let your ice cream melt counting someone else's sprinkles. Don't give the excuse that you are not DJ LeMahieu, so clearly you can't hit for average. Do something about it. Hit against the shift. Change your batting stance. Don't try to kill the ball every time you step into the batter's box. Hit ground balls. Do something. Hell, everyone wishes they were DJ LeMahieu. But you're not. Be you and make something happen.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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