New York Yankees: Jacoby Ellsbury must be appreciated for his play

Time for New York Yankees fans to give credit where credit is due and appreciate Jacoby Ellsbury and his recent play.

It’s no secret how New York Yankees fans have felt about Jacoby Ellsbury since the team signed him to a seven-year, $153 million deal in 2014.

The 2011 American League MVP runner-up has been nothing short of a disappointment with the Bronx Bombers, failing to replicate his number with the Boston Red Sox and stay healthy.

Up until a few weeks ago, the 2017 had been much of the same; Ellsbury struggled offensively and missed about a month with a concussion he sustained in late May after crashing into the center field wall at Yankee Stadium.

Now, as that the calendar has flipped to September and post season races have heated up, so has Ellsbury’s play.

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Since September 1, Ellsbury has gone 15-for-40, good for a .375 average, with three doubles, one triple and five RBI. His batting average has gone from .242 to .264, while his slugging percentage has jumped from .377 to .401 and his OPS from .696 to .752.

The Oregon State University alum has done a nice job of getting on base consistently from game to game, highlighted by an increase in his OBP from .319 to .351. He’s recorded multi-hit games four times in September so far, including a 3-for-4 performance in a 9-3 win against the Baltimore Orioles Saturday afternoon.

The significant improvement in Ellsbury’s play this month can be attributed to a number of factors. He’s over two months removed from a concussion that sidelined him for about a month, and as a result may be 100 percent for the first time since the early months of the season. The center fielder may also be benefiting from an Aaron Hicks left oblique injury that is allowing him to play every day. Still, it could be that the Yankees’ current playoff push is bringing the best out of the veteran Ellsbury, who has been in his fair share of divisional and wild card races with the Red Sox.

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Whatever the reason(s) may be, the fact of the matter is that Jacoby Ellsbury is playing like the $153 million man who had been a thorn in the side of the Yankees for years in Boston. He’s confident, calm and composed at the plate, and as a result has come up with clutch hits in big spots that have propelled the Yankees five games over the Minnesota Twins for the first wild card spot.

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