Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Aren't Concerned About Andrew Benintendi's Slow Start on Offense

It's still a small sample size, but Benintendi hasn't found a rhythm at the plate since joining the Yankees, going 1-for-17 so far.

Max Goodman

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NEW YORK — Andrew Benintendi's first week with the Yankees hasn't gone according to plan in the batter's box. 

While the outfielder has worked seven walks over six games played, flexing his ability to work the count and get on base, he only has one hit in 17 at-bats. In this extremely small sample, the outfielder is slashing .059/.320/.059.

On Tuesday night, in an 8-6 loss to the Mariners, Benintendi went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, his first three-strikeout game of the season. 

"He's such a good bat-to-ball guy that can control the zone. Just a semi-slow little start," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Not too worried about it."

Benintendi was acquired last week in a trade with the Royals. New York sent three pitching prospects to Kansas City in the deal for the rental bat, adding a player that's set to hit free agency at the end of this season.

His lone hit with the Yankees thus far is an infield single to the right side, driving in a run against the Royals over the weekend. 

The 28-year-old was hitting .320 over 93 games with the Royals before donning pinstripes. That in mind, it's far too early to start pressing the panic button here. Benintendi has the track record and experience at this level to work through a bit of a rough patch, as Boone alluded to. 

Still, this hits close to home for the Yankees after what transpired with one of last year's big trade deadline acquisitions. Joey Gallo, who was traded to the Dodgers on Tuesday, never got going in pinstripes. That started with a brutal first impression, too. Gallo hit .087 (2-for-23) in his first six contests with New York. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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