The New York Yankees have won 10 straight games and own an MLB-best 17-6 record.
Everything has clicked in the last couple of weeks: hitting, pitching, baserunning, and managing.
Yet, fans will always want the team to be even better.
It’s part of being a fan, and the Yankees know that there are always sky-high expectations.
That’s why some supporters want the team to upgrade from center fielder Aaron Hicks, or at least field other players capable of playing the position that obviously boast more productive offensive profiles.
“Aaron Hicks Last 24 AB’s: 0 HR 1 RBI 3 BB .529 OPS. Last 57 AB’s: 1 HR 4 RBI’s 10 BB .693 OPS. Play Judge in CF every chance you get,” a fan account tweeted.
Aaron Hicks
Last 24 AB’s
0 HR 1 RBI 3 BB .529 OPSLast 57 AB’s
1 HR 4 RBI’s 10 BB .693 OPSPlay Judge in CF every chance you get pic.twitter.com/4ZOxV4tJ00
— Jonny's Lasagna ⚾️ (@JLasagna43) May 3, 2022
Fans Don’t Have The Best Opinion Of Hicks Right Now
Fans have fallen out of love with Hicks for a while now.
His last truly productive season was in 2018, when he hit 27 homers, scored 90 runs, and played incredible center field defense.
Injuries and slumps have affected him ever since.
However, it’s fair to point out that even with his recent struggles, he has been an above-average hitter in 2022.
Yes: he is hitting .263/.377/.316 with a wRC+ of 113.
The wRC+ stat means weighted Runs Created Plus, and adjusts offensive performance to ballpark and era to get a hold on a hitter’s true production at the plate.
In wRC+, any number over 100 is considered above-average, so Hicks has been a plus offensively, even if his power has been non-existent this year.
His .377 OBP, on the other hand, has been quite valuable.
Perhaps Yankees’ fans should be a bit more patient with a talented hitter that has produced in the past and hasn’t been all that healthy in recent seasons.
