Someone Other Than Aaron Hicks Needs To Bat Third For The New York Yankees And End This Madness

Chris O'Meara. Shutterstock Images.

The Yankees narrowly avoided being swept in Tampa Bay yesterday afternoon. Despite the Rays roster getting worse in the offseason, they still have New York's number. If not for a Rougned Odor bloop single in the 10th, I might be sitting here typing these words in complete and utter depression. That's what baseball will do to you. As Carl detailed last week, it's really hard being a positive baseball fan. It's especially hard when your team doesn't change up it's strategy year after year and you get the same goddamn results. But like I said, at least they avoided the sweep yesterday right!? Odor's bloop single, Gary's missile up the middle, and Gio Urshela's fourth hit of the day got the Yankees their 4th win of the year. Holy shit what a few minutes can do for the soul in April. Win aside, these guys are fortunate enough to be 4-5 out of the gate. It's time to wake up. 

Something that needs immediate changing is the lineup. Specifically Aaron Hicks. It's complete non-sense that he continues to hit 3rd for this team. This is the New York Yankees and Aaron Hicks is your 3 hitter. Why? I couldn't tell you. Both the eye test and analytics fail to back up the decision. One of the crutches that management would lean on in the past with Hicks is that he avoids bouncing into double plays. Well, he's now become the pitcher's best friend in back to back games. Yesterday's twin killing came with the bases loaded and nobody out. A true kick in the dick. He's now 4 for 30 with the bases juiced in his career with one extra base hit.  That's the guy the Yankees believe they must slide in between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. 

Now I don't have anything against Aaron Hicks. I have a lot of something against the decision makers of this team putting him in spots he cannot live up to the expectations of. Hit him 8th and I will shut up. I understand he's signed through 2025 and he has the ability to bat lefty, but enough is enough. Hit literally anyone else there. Why can't Gio Urshela be this team's 3 hitter? God forbid we drive guys in at the top of the order. 

The logic behind continuously playing Hicks and batting him 3rd while benching Clint Frazier after a few bad games is ridiculous. You finally named Clint the starting LF coming into the season, you don't bench that guy a few games in. Hicks on the other hand, you move out of the 3 hole. Please. For the love of god, I'm begging you.