The Yankees have spent most of the post-Core Four-plus-Bernie-Williams period unable to develop average or better position players in any group fashion. They would hit on a Robinson Cano or a Brett Gardner or an Aaron Judge, but not accumulate much in volume at one time.
Lately, it appears they are doing better in this realm — not only getting homegrown position players to the majors, but, notably, more lefty hitters. And they also are helping themselves more internally than in recent years.
In the past 10 162-game seasons (so, not counting the COVID-impacted 2020 season), just three lefty swingers drafted by the Yankees have qualified for the batting title: Gardner six times, Ben Gamel in 2017 and Josh Smith last season. Only Gardner did it for the Yankees.
Through the weekend, three lefty hitters drafted by the Yankees were qualifying for the batting title — Trey Sweeney, Ben Rice and Austin Wells; Rice and Wells were playing for the Yankees. Smith — a Ranger who was just short of qualifying with a .311 average and .864 OPS — is the regrettable one that got away in the ill-fated Joey Gallo trade. Those four were picked in Yankees drafts between 2019-21. Another lefty hitter, Spencer Jones, was the Yankees’ first pick overall in 2022 and currently is doing a Gallo imitation at Double-A: power, athleticism and lots of strikeouts.
