Usually I would go a couple of weeks or so to do one of these, especially since most of their minor league teams haven’t even started yet so there will be no prospect watch this week.  However, I just had to talk about what happened this weekend.  And I promise you, this isn’t just a Yankees blog.  It’s just that there really isn’t anything going on with any of the other teams I follow.

If you told me in either the last two seasons that the Yankees played a four-game series and Aaron Judge only had two hits in the series, I would have assumed they got swept.  Maybe won 1 of the games.  If you added in that Gleyber Torres also only had two hits, and Cole didn’t pitch, I would have guaranteed the Yankees got swept.  Especially if you told me those games were in Houston.  This year it’s different.  Very different. 

The Yankees got offensive contributions up and down the line up over the weekend.  Something they rarely got in the last two seasons.  This included big series from Oswaldo Cabrera and Juan Soto.  Oh yeah, that’s right.  Juan Soto is a Yankee.  I always say you can look at statistics all you want but you never really know how good a player is in any sport unless you watch them play day in and day out.  I can tell you the Kevin Garnett story some other time.  Watching Soto, in just these four games, spray balls all over the field has shown me just how good he is.  Do you know why he is so good?  Because he’s not trying to hit home runs.  He is trying to hit hard line drives.  He just happens to be a rather large individual so a lot of his line drives are hit hard enough to leave the ballpark.  He uses all fields instead of just trying to yank balls down the right field line.  They showed his home run chart from last season during the game today and it was perfectly balanced to all fields.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  Maybe now that he is in New York their front office and players will pay enough attention to him and see that this is the best approach to hitting.  Not the all or nothing that has become the way to go in the new analytical baseball. 

One of the Yankees already has begun learning from Soto.  Oswaldo Cabrera has spoken both about trying to go back to being a line drive hitter, rather than aiming for the short porch every at bat, and studying everything Soto does to prepare to play.  If this weekend is any indication, it is paying off.  Oswaldo had as big as series as he probably can.  He hit a game tying hit in or after the 7^th inning in each of the first three games, including a 4 for 4 outing in game three.  As their utility guy, and for now their starting third baseman with DJ LeMahieu finding out he has a fracture in his heel, he should get plenty of opportunity to use his new approach to help the Yankees.  Also, I love that Oswaldo is hitting left handed pretty much all the time now. Though he will still bat righty against some lefties. I always wondered why switch hitters who struggle from one side of the plate don’t just stop hitting from that side. See Bernie Williams at the end of his career. I am glad Cabrera finally figured that out.  

The Yankees also got great work from their pitching staff.  They only gave up 8 earned runs in the 4 games and their bullpen didn’t give up any.  Although Loiasiga of all people did let 2 inherited runners score in the last game of the series.  I think inherited runners scored is the biggest stat for middle relievers.  I also have complete faith in Loaisiga to be great once the season gets rolling along.  Rodon had a good outing giving up 1 run in 4.1 innings.  I have to point out that Wells was his catcher.  This could be a huge development for the Yankees.  Nester had a nasty first inning but then settled down nicely and gave the Yankees bats a chance to win the game. 

The Yankee bats winning games is going to be a recurring theme this season.  This offense is going to be really good and more importantly really consistent as they will not be relying on one or two guys to carry them.  It was only the first series of the year and it’s a long, long season.  But these were big games as they were against the Astros.  These are games you would expect the Yankees to lose when you look at the schedule.  Not all of them but at least some.  To have swept an AL rival and, because MLB is utterly stupid, won the season series all ready, is a big deal and a great start to the season.  There is a big game tonight as Gil makes his first start of the season. If he looks as good as he did in the spring, it will go along way towards the Yankees having a big season this year.