New York Yankees fans irritated with team's belief Josh Donaldson needs more time: "Just can't admit defeat" "They need to give him a hitting coach"
Josh Donaldson is not a fan favorite in the New York Yankees organization. From looking like a completely different player at the plate to injury troubles, fans have been on Donaldson during his time in New York.
This season, he's only played in 17 games. Donaldson was stuck on the IL for the beginning of the season as he nursed a hamstring strain. Since returning from the IL, he's been ice-cold, slashing .151/.233/.491. This is far from the player fans thought they were getting when they traded for him in 2022.
Cashman said the Yankees believe in Josh Donaldson and need to give him "more runway" to see if he can recapture his pre-2022 form.
Given his struggles, the New York Yankees aren't taking him out of the lineup. They believe he needs more at-bats to get back into his pre-2022 groove, where he was easily launching 20-plus home runs a season.
In 2021, when he was with the Minnesota Twins, he hit 26 home runs. Combine the homers he hit last year with the ones he has already hit this year, and he's still well under his 2021 numbers.
"Just can't admit defeat," one fan tweeted.
@BryanHoch Just can’t admit defeat
"They need to give him a hitting coach," another fan tweeted.
@BryanHoch they need to give him a hitting coach
@BryanHoch Yes because 38 year olds will recapture their good forms.
@BryanHoch How is a whole season and a third not enough 🤡
New York Yankees fans don't believe that Josh Donaldson can turn it around and return to form. He's in his age 37 season and isn't getting any younger. As athletes get older, they lose some parts of what made them great. That's just how it goes.
@BryanHoch Maybe he and Cashman can take the same runway out of town.
@BryanHoch He’s batting .151 he definitely doesn’t need more runway.
@BryanHoch i’m sure that’ll magically happen even tho it hasn’t in the 2 years he’s been here
@BryanHoch A season and a half isn't enough runway?
@BryanHoch From what I hear, he couldn’t hit water if he fell outta a fn boat
Fans believe he's gotten more than enough runway, and this is the player he now is. They don't see him turning it around at any point.
This can be a make-or-break season for Josh Donaldson
This season could be a deciding one for New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson if he doesn't get it going at the plate. He told The Athletic on Sunday that he's unsure if he will return to play next season.
Donaldson said that it will depend on how he feels throughout this season. The decision also comes down to how his family feels about the situation. He'll review his performance this season and speak with his family before making concrete decisions.
Undoubtedly, he's still an above-average defender at the hot corner. His struggles have come on the offensive side. He can't catch a break, either, getting good contact on balls and hitting them right at defenders. His average exit velocity is up nearly two mph from last season.
It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out. Will Josh Donaldson return to being a feared hitter at the plate, or will his offensive woes contribute to his retirement?