TAMPA – Sunday was the first game of spring training for the Yankees, as well as their first experience with the redesigned baseball MLB, using it this season, which many believe will not travel as far as last season.
Very early results were mixed.
A few balls were hit during the batting practice, Aaron Judge said they did not have as much distance as he and his teammates expected.
But in the game, with a 6-4, seven-over defeat against the Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Judge hit one to deep center that amazed him at how close it was to being a homer .
“It went a little further than I thought,” he said of the fourth inning. “I came under it. I knew I missed it. But I saw it was near the court and thought someone had sneaked an old baseball for me. ‘
Overall, however, the Yankees saw no noticeable change.
“This is what I expected,” the judge said. ‘I saw a small difference in the batting exercise. Balls that were turned on did not go the same, but in the game I saw no difference. ”
The same was the case with Gleyber Torres, who said it is difficult to say how the ball reacts during spring practice due to differences in beams and weather.
“Let’s look [if] “There’s a big difference during the regular season,” Torres said. “If you and I turn the ball over, you don’t see much touch,” said Boone. “But guys who handle this livelihood are likely to have some opinion over the weeks.”
A better test could dawn on Monday when the Yankees host the Tigers and Gerrit Cole gets the start.
Cole has already commented on the fact that he does not know if he will use the new balls early in the camp.
Aaron Boone believes that veteran jars will shed more light on the subject.
Mike Tauchman started in midfield and a homer from Rob Brantly with one of his own following, while the Yankees went into the final fifth in a row.
Boone noted that Tauchman “did not” go home last year “when he tried to find a place in the Yankees’ busy field.
“He feels very good early in the camp, looks good to move around and looks good to swing the bat,” Boone said.
Clint Frazier, already named the starting left fielder, apparently got a bad jump on a level fly in the fourth, but later in the innings he did well to fight off the sun for a nice catch. in deep left.
“He deserved his place here, but you always have to deserve it,” Boone said. ‘In the field [Sunday], I thought he was right. … I thought he moved well on some balls he did catch. ‘
DJ LeMahieu was the Yankees’ first frontrunner with a lead single in the middle of the fourth, after the first nine Yankees retired. … Bronx native and Fordham Prep product Andrew Velazquez competed in fourth place as a pinch.
Fans are not the only ones allowed back on Sunday. Scouts were also present. … The Yankees will continue to wear a No. 16 patch on their sleeve in honor of Whitey Ford. They also wore it during the post-season after the death of the Hall of Famer in October last year. … A moment of silence was observed for Hank Steinbrenner, former general partner and co-chair of the Yankees, who passed away in April after a long illness.