The New York Yankees made a major splash this offseason when they acquired third baseman Josh Donaldson and catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for catcher Gary Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela.
Donaldson was the major piece involved in the deal, and he gives the Yankees a much-needed veteran power bat in the middle of their order to go with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Donaldson is coming into this year feeling more fit than ever.
On MLB Network Radio, Donaldson told Xavier Scruggs that this is the lightest he has been in years and that the secret for him was to play a little basketball over the offseason to increase his athleticism.
Josh Donaldson told @Xavier_Scruggs on @MLBNetworkRadio that he played basketball as part of his offseason training, in order to increase athleticism. Donaldson said this is the lightest he’s been upon reporting to spring training in several years. 🏀 @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 29, 2022
Donaldson Looking Slim
Donaldson appears to be super confident heading into 2022, and why wouldn’t he be?
He says he’s lighter than he has been in a long time and feels as if he’s increased his athleticism.
That’s a huge plus for the Yankees entering the 2022 season.
Donaldson, 36, hit 26 home runs and had 72 RBIs while hitting .247 in 2021 with the Twins.
His batting average has dipped below .250 since his 37-home run season in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves.
Perhaps increasing his athleticism a little by playing some basketball over the offseason can help him regain his stroke.
And it’s important for Donaldson to have been able to do this, especially at the age of 36.
More than likely, his career is winding down, but that doesn’t mean the “Bringer of Rain” can’t put together a few more solid seasons before it’s all said and done.
The Yankees lineup should benefit from a healthier Donaldson, and we’ll see if his training pays off.
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