Getty Aaron Judge celebrates a home run against the Blue Jays.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has the luxury of plenty of options in the field in 2024. With an 82-80 record last year, the Yankees suffered through their worst season since 1992. But New York’s front office has restocked, and Boone has high hopes for the 2024 MLB season. The Yankees outfield is a big reason for that hope, and Boone outlined his plans for their depth at the positions when talking on ESPN during an in-game interview on March 5.
Aaron Boone says he’s leaning toward keeping it Soto in RF, Judge in CF and Verdugo in LF — even when there’s a short LF, like in Houston or Boston. Adds that Stanton will be an option “periodically” in RF in Bronx or in shorter LFs in the league.
Boone on @ESPN right now.
On March 4, Boone spoke in detail on MLB Network about his thoughts on the club, saying he’s “excited about where our group is.” Boone has said in spring training that returning to an elite offense in 2024 is a reasonable expectation.
“There’s no question in my mind there was an added edge to how they prepared this winter, this spring, and I’m excited about where our group is…” – Aaron Boone on the @Yankees
Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Alex Verdugo Will Headline Yankees Outfield
Breaking: The New York Yankees have acquired superstar outfielder Juan Soto in a trade from the San Diego Padres, sources tell @JeffPassan.
There are no shortage of big names in the Yankees outfield for the 2024 season. With their blockbuster acquisition of Juan Soto in December 2023, New York bolstered its strong lineup even more. A day before that, the Yankees agreed to a rare trade with the rival Red Sox to acquire Alex Verdugo.
But with Soto, Verdugo, and returning superstar Aaron Judge, the Yankees have an odd issue at hand. All three players have done their best work in right field recently, and none of them are a natural fit in center field. As Forbes’ Daniel Epstein said after the trades, “They will now stack two of the best hitters in the world back-to-back in their lineup. In the outfield though, they have a handful of puzzle pieces that don’t seem to interconnect.”
How Will Yankees Manage Outfield?
GettyGiancarlo Stanton bats in a game against the Diamondbacks.
Along with the three players likely to log the most innings in the outfield for the Yankees, they also have Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham. Stanton is nearly a lost cause in the field at this point. He’s struggled to stay healthy enough to even play much DH for the Yankees in recent years, and his performance at the plate has steadily declined.
In November, Stanton and Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman had to clear the air according to NorthJersey.com’s Pete Caldera. Cashman made comments about Stanton saying, “He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game.”
With Stanton’s ability in the outfield dwindling, Grisham is the more likely option to get significant playing time. The two-time Gold Glove winner in center field is the perfect option in between Judge and Verdugo — with Soto at DH — but his production at the plate has been rough. Grisham has hit under .200 in consecutive seasons and only managed to break a .300 on-base percentage last year with an improved walk rate.
According to Boone’s ESPN interview during the Yankees 5-4 spring training loss on March 5, he’s leaning toward playing Judge in center field with Soto in right and Verdugo in left. This would allow the Yankees to DH Stanton, giving them their most dangerous lineup.
Where to Expect Yankees Outfielders in Opening Day Lineup
While Boone told reporters and the NY Post’s Greg Joyce that he wanted to see DJ LeMahieu leadoff for the club in 2024, it’s possible that one of the outfielders could get the chance.
“If we can solve that leadoff spot — look, I want it to be DJ and hopefully it is, but certainly Alex Verdugo up there is a possibility — if that leadoff spot gets settled, then we have a chance to be a really special offense,” Boone told reporters.
Soto and Judge will almost certainly fill in directly behind the leadoff spot as two of the best hitters in baseball. But many people have been trying to project the rest of the Yankees lineup behind them.
Aaron Boone says Juan Soto will bat second and Aaron Judge will bat third
He mentions DJ LeMahieu, Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres as leadoff options
The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty gave their input on the potential lineup on March 4. They have Soto batting second in left field, Judge batting third in center field, Stanton batting fourth at DH, and Verdugo batting seventh in right field.
- DJ LeMahieu (3B)
- Juan Soto (LF)
- Aaron Judge (CF)
- Giancarlo Stanton (DH)
- Anthony Rizzo (1B)
- Gleyber Torres (2B)
- Alex Verdugo (RF)
- Jose Trevino (C)
- Anthony Volpe (SS)