Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Miguel Andújar Struggled in Dominican Winter League

New York Yankees utility plmanayer Miguel Andujar failed to produce playing for Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League, struggling on offense and defense.

Max Goodman

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It's a very small sample size, but Miguel Andújar posted some mediocre numbers in the Dominican Winter League.

The third baseman and corner outfielder hit just .161 (5-for-31) over eight games with  Toros del Este this offseason, striking out six times with two RBI, one walk and a .343 OPS.

His struggles extended into the field as well. Andújar made two errors at third base over four games, another reminder of his defensive deficiencies—a part of his game he's been working to improve constantly over the last several years.

Andújar appeared in just 45 games with the Yankees in 2021, unable to secure playing time before landing on the injured list in July with a left wrist sprain, missing the rest of the season. 

This offseason, New York elected to keep Andújar around, parting ways with other players like Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade instead. The 26-year-old is entering his first year of arbitration in 2022, projected to make $1.75 million, per Spotrac.

Since Andújar's stellar rookie season—finishing second in the race for American League Rookie of the Year Award behind two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani—Andújar has consistently found himself on the bench, either injured or not in the starting lineup. 

During his rookie year in 2018, Andújar hit .297 over 149 games with 47 doubles, 27 homers and 92 RBI. He looked like New York's third baseman of the future, winning over the fan base with his helicopter-like swing in the batter's box. 

In the three years since then, Andújar has posted a .228/.257/.331 slash line (in 78 total games).

A shoulder injury completely derailed Andújar's sophomore season and before he could return to the diamond, Gio Urshela had swooped in, stealing his starting job at third base.

READ: Yankees' Aaron Hicks Finishes Strong in Winter Ball After Slow Start

Going forward, Andújar is still a perplexing case in pinstripes, the type of player that has solid upside at the plate, but can't find a home on defense. With no spot for him at designated hitter, it's hard to view him as an everyday player, unless he can improve significantly on that side of the ball. 

To take a positive approach, Andújar's numbers improved across the board this year and he finished the season strong before his injury, hitting .271 with six homers and a .786 OPS over his final 28 games.

His performance in a week's worth of games in winter ball won't have an impact on his standing with the Yankees, but it'll take some convincing this spring to show he's deserving of an expanded role in 2022.

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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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