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New York Yankees: Five Yankees that have exceeded expectations

By TJ Wengert

May 17, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Hicks (31) celebrates with shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) and right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. The Yankees won 11-7. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Hicks (31) celebrates with shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) and right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. The Yankees won 11-7. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Yankees
Jun 9, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks (31) celebrates after defeating the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Aaron Hicks

Hicks is arguably the most underappreciated starter on the Yankees roster, and maybe in baseball.

Hicks was a top prospect in the Twins organization, and spent three years with the team, never playing more than 100 games and batting higher than .256.

Hicks played in 123 games last season with the Yankees, and hit a mere .217 with just eight homeruns. And his projections for this season weren’t any better, as ESPN projected he would hit .241 with eight home runs.

Hicks has gone up and beyond those expectations as through 54 games he is hitting .306 with ten

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homeruns, and 36 RBIs. Those numbers have made Hicks’ projections seem like a joke and made him into an everyday starter.

Hicks’s ability to hit his potential has helped the Yankees’ offense not miss a beat when Jacoby Ellsbury has been battling injuries.

If anything, the younger Hicks has given the Yankees an underappreciated tool to have, a fourth starting caliber outfielder.

Hicks can fill in for any injuries to Judge, Gardner or Ellsbury or even provide them with routine days off, which keeps the aging Ellsbury and Gardner fresh and prevents Judge from blowing out and ruining his future (not unheard of for a young Yankees right fielder).

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