Yankees 3B Josh Donaldson confident about recapturing lost touch after debut season struggles with the Bronx Bombers
New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson seems to finally be seeing positive results. This comes after a spectacular spring swing that saw him hit three homers in the Yankees' 6-3 Grapefruit League victory over the Tigers.
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Josh Donaldson might not have had an ideal first year with the New York Yankees, but the MLB veteran believes he's slowly getting back to his best, regardless of his age catching up to him. Keeping things simple at home plate, working on simplifying his swing, and just sticking to the basics seems to be doing the trick for Donaldson.
“My body feels really good right now; I feel strong at the plate,” Josh Donaldson said. “I’m making my mechanics look similar to what I’m trying to accomplish. I’m seeing it well, where I can go into the box now at this point of spring training and trust my eyes, just letting my body move how I’ve been preparing it to."
Donaldson had a severely underwhelming first season with the Yankees. He finished the year batting at .222/.308/.374 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs. He had the lowest percentage in the major leagues for contact pitches swung at in the strike zone, with an astonishing 75.5% only.
Donaldson's impressive hitting this spring, however, has impressed one and all, laying to rest last year's disappointment. One person particularly interested in the resurrection of the 37-years-old is Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who licked his lips at the incredible prospects he had at disposal in his artillery.
“It’s absolutely still in there,” Boone said. “He’s twitchy. He’s strong. He’s got power. He got dinged a little bit last year. He’s just got to know that’s still in there because it is.”
All that's left to be seen is how well Donaldson will, indeed, do, and that, only time will tell.
Josh Donaldson: The MLB journeyman
MLB journeyman Josh Donaldson was drafted by the Chicago Cubs as a catcher in the first round and 48th overall of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. He has gone on to play for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, and the New York Yankees, where he is currently at.
Donaldson is a three-time MLB All-Star and was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player for the 2015 MLB season. He is also a two-time Silver Slugger winner, and was the recipient of the AL Hand Aaron Award in 2015.