The 2022 season started with veteran slugger Matt Carpenter in the Texas Rangers’ minor league system.
He was released in May, and his career was hanging from a thread.
However, just a week after the Rangers released him, the New York Yankees were experiencing some depth issues caused by injuries and COVID-19 and decided to give him a shot.
On May 26, the Bombers signed Carpenter to a one-year MLB deal, and all he has done since then is rake.
Carpenter hadn’t been a productive major league hitter since 2018, when he belted 36 homers and scored 111 runs with the St.Louis Cardinals.
After three subpar seasons from 2019 to 2021, he was approaching the end of the line.
His time with the Yankees, however, has been a resounding success.
“Matt Carpenter made franchise history, with 6+ HR in his first 10 games with the @Yankees. Today he went 3-for-4, with 2 HR and 7 RBI,” Fox Sports MLB tweeted.
He implied everything is clicking for him in his recent comments.
Matt Carpenter made franchise history, with 6+ HR in his first 10 games with the @Yankees.
Today he went 3-for-4, with 2 HR and 7 RBI 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IClJXoSe7n
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 12, 2022
An Incredible Power Showing From The Veteran
That two-homer performance came on Sunday.
Overall, Carpenter is slashing .333/.467/1.125 with six homers, 10 runs, and 13 RBI in just 30 plate appearances.
He has been an incredible find, but the Yankees, as an organization, helped him unlock something that the Rangers clearly couldn’t see.
As a result, he has been an amazing reserve player for the Yankees.
With his performance, Carpenter is deserving of more playing time, but it would be difficult to bench DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, or Anthony Rizzo.
The designated hitter position is also well-covered.
It remains to be seen if he will maintain this kind of performance, but his power surge has been one of the best stories of the last couple of weeks in Yankeeland.
NEXT: Yankees Found A Veteran Gem In Matt Carpenter