New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays: April 2nd-April 5th Series Recap

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Apr 5, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) looks on as he works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Rough Start For Youngsters

The Yankees have some of their youngsters beginning the season in the lineup. The first wave includes Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, and last season’s breakout star Gary Sanchez. All have a ton of potential, but they didn’t show much of it, at least at the plate, against the Rays.

The trio looked lost at the plate, as they combined to go 4-for-38 against the Rays, with only Judge recording multiple hits. Of those four hits, two went for extra bases and only one RBI. What pops out is the number of strikeouts. Judge, Bird, and Sanchez were punched out 10 times, each going down on strikes at least three times.

There will be better days ahead for the Yankees youngsters. Some Opening Day jitters probably played a part, as all three were in the minors or injured at this point last season. Each will receive plenty of opportunities going forward as the Yankees management knows that this is a rebuilding year.

All three were great in the spring, so these struggles came out of nowhere. It just goes to show that Spring Training and the regular season are two totally different monsters and it is tough to carry over that success from exhibition games.

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