"I think you're crazy to think that a bounce-back is not in there offensively" - Yankees manager backs Josh Donaldson to bounce back
Josh Donaldson of the New York Yankees may have been the MVP seven seasons ago, but his 2022 stats were a far cry from any such former glory. Thankfully, his manager still believes that he is a game-changer.
In 2022, Josh Donaldson had the worst offensive figures of any full season of his career. The 36-year-old third baseman hit .222/.308/.374 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs. Donaldon had previously not had a season with fewer than 25 home runs since 2018.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone faced questions from SNY about Donaldson at the Yankees' spring training facility in Tampa on Tuesday. A reporter asked Boone what led him to believe that "there is still more there offensively" for Donaldson after a lackluster 2022.
"I think you're crazy to think that a bounce-back is not in there offensively."
Aaron Boone discusses why he thinks Josh Donaldson will have a better year this season: https://t.co/3QMNs8qDpb
"I think you're crazy to think that a bounce-back is not in there offensively."Aaron Boone discusses why he thinks Josh Donaldson will have a better year this season:" - @ SNY
Boone was quick to label anyone who thought that Donaldson wouldn't have a bounce-back 2023 as "crazy." Boone, who himself played third base for the Cincinnati Reds, claimed that the partial lockdown that delayed the opening day might be a cause for Donaldson's sluggishness.
The 2022 season started off well for Donaldson, who delivered a walk-off single to win the Yankees' Opening Day matchup against the Boston Red Sox. However, his numbers only began to slide. By July, he was hitting .195.
Josh Donaldson came to the Yankees alongside shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa in a trade with the Minnesota Twins that sent catcher Gary Sanchez the other way. In his response, Boone also referenced Donaldson's relatively strong 2021 season with the Twins, in which he hit 26 home runs and 72 RBIs.
Donaldson is the winner of the 2015 AL MVP Award as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and he will need to make a strong case for the Yankees to offer him a solid extension.
Josh Donaldson has proven he has the ability to hit
Although 2022 was a very weak year for Josh Donaldson, he has proven to produce solid offensive numbers consistently over the course of his 12-year career. Perhaps, like other players, he has taken some time to warm up to the Yankees' culture. 2023 will tell if he can prove all his detractors wrong.