Like most of us, I played Little League baseball.  Where did everyone want to hit in the lineup in Little League?  The number three hole (which was probably occupied by the coach’s son, just like on my team).  That is always where you put your best hitter when I was growing up.  The same was true at the major league level.  Who hit third for the New York Yankees in the late 1980s?  Don Mattingly!  I get that baseball has changed, but even so, teams tend to put one of their best players in the number three hole.  Well, teams except for our very own New York Yankees.

Yankees have gotten poor production from their #3 hitters

Through June 1^st, the Yankees primarily hit Cody Bellinger third.  And he produced at a Bellinger-type level with a .252/.345/.437 line in that position of the order, which, if he were a team, would rank tied for 10^th in OPS with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Alas, since the injury to Aaron Judge and Bellinger’s own injury, the third spot in the lineup has turned into a revolving door of awfulness, and the Yankees now rank 25^th in OPS from that lineup position with a middling .224/.306/.409 slash line in the number three hole.  Needless to say, you should get more production out of such an important position in the lineup.

Why has that lineup position been so bad?

Well, it is because management is somewhat obsessed with having a right-handed hitter bat behind Ben Rice in that position against right-handed pitchers (which itself doesn’t make a lot of sense).  They have primarily tried three players in that position: Paul Goldschmidt, Jasson Dominguez, and Heliot Ramos.  First, it was Goldschmidt, who wasn’t bad overall at .250/.278/.412, but as with everything involving him, he ran out of gas.  Next up was Jasson Dominguez, who in 43 plate appearances in that position showed absolutely nothing (150/209/275).  The Dominguez debacle then led to a trade for Heliot Ramos, who has just been awful no matter where they put him (.113/.230/.189; boy was I wrong about that trade deadline acquisition). 

Perhaps the mindset has finally changed

Cody Bellinger has finally returned to the lineup, and with his return, the lineup has changed.  Luis Garcia Jr. now appears to be the permanent occupant of the number three hole against right-handed pitchers (note that Amed Rosario might occupy it against left-handed pitchers even though he has been dreadful there: .233/.233/.326).  Heavy is the head, though that’s where the crown is.  Where have the last three occupants of this lineup position gone?  One is in AAA, and two are warming seats on the bench.  That is unlikely with Garcia Jr., and it is also possible that Ben Rice moves into the number three slot when Judge returns (he has been ok in that lineup position: .229/.289/.486).   I sure wish the Yankees had a player like Don Mattingly these days to hit third, but then again, he was left-handed!