"He was kinda digging the six-hole" - Yankees skipper Aaron Boone on fruitful results of switching Alex Verdugo with Anthony Rizzo in batting order
On Apr. 27, Yankees manager Aaron Boone decided to slot Alex Verdugo into the cleanup spot. Although the four-hole usually belongs to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Verdugo's 1.065 OPS over the preceding week made the outfielder look very attractive as a number four hitter.
Soon after the Yankees took to the field on Saturday, Boone's decision began to pay dividends. Alex Verdugo opened up scoring with a three-run moonshot in the first, and added a sac-fly later in the game. The Yankees would go on to win by a commanding 15-3 margin.
"Boone says the cleanup spot is Verdugo's against righties from now on" - Talkin' Yanks
In a recent interview with New York Yankees media outlet Jomboy Media, Aaron Boone discussed his decision and indicated that he might keep Verdugo as a cleanup hitter against right-handed starters.
On account of the reshuffle, former cleanup man Anthony Rizzo moved to the sixth spot in the batting order, previously held by Verdugo. The following game, Rizzo went 4-for-4 in the Yankees' 15-5 hammering of the Milwaukee Brewers in the series finale.
After the strong performance, Boone claimed that despite being moved further back in the batting order, Rizzo was "kinda digging the six-hole."
"Alex Verdugo is an all around really good baseball player" - Talkin' Yanks
Both Alex Verdugo and Anthony Rizzo are having stupendous 2024 campaigns, regardless of where they have been placed in the lineup to date.
Verdugo, who came to the Yankees from the Boston Red Sox during the offseason, is hitting .267/.358/.446 with four home runs and 13 RBIs. Meanwhile, Rizzo has contributed with five home runs and 15 RBIs.
Anthony Rizzo is smashing milestones from the six-hole
On Sunday, his first game of the season in the number six slot, Rizzo mashed his 300th career home run before being named the AL Player of the Week. After the outstanding performance, the first baseman told journalist Justin Shackil:
"It's awesome. It really is incredible. Time flies. I try to enjoy every moment. I try to play with a smile on my face and definitely when you hit milestones like this, it feels great."
When Alex Verdugo returns from paternity leave later this week, it is expected that he will continue to serve as a cleanup hitter. However, judging by the way both men have been swinging, it's likely that the production will continue, regardless of where they find themselves in the order.