Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Alex Verdugo Discusses Prior Struggles After Integral Performance

Verdugo struggled during the regular season, but he made up for it with several clutch plays in the Yankees' Game 1 win.

Joe Najarian

Oct 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) catches a popup during the fourth inning hit by Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) during game one of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) catches a popup during the fourth inning hit by Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) during game one of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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There were many important players in the New York Yankees' 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the ALDS.

However, the biggest performance of all came from left fielder Alex Verdugo, who made his presence felt both at the plate and in the field; the 28-year-old's performance was a highly pleasant surprise to Yankee fans, who had been frustrated with his regular season struggles.

Verdugo's first season in the Bronx was a very difficult one; in 149 games, the outfielder hit a career-low .233/.291/.356 and 83 wRC+, despite adding 28 doubles, 13 home runs, and 61 RBI. His prolonged slumps resulted in fans clamoring for top prospect Jasson Dominguez to become the starting left fielder, and the team's decision to primarily play Verdugo (largely due to superior defensive play) only increased those frustrations.

Although the 28-year-old kept his head up throughout, he was just as dissatisfied by his play as the fans were.

"Mentally, I'm pretty real with myself. Fans booing me, getting on me, I understand it," Verdugo said in a postgame interview. "I was booing myself, too. We ran through a course where I just kind of let [my struggles] spiral out of control a little bit, and for me, [handling it] was leaning on my guys in the clubhouse. They've all got my back, they all know what kind of player I am and how I've played throughout my whole career.

"They kept telling me, 'Don't let this season or this little glimpse make your whole year, you can make up for a lot of things in the playoffs.'"

When Verdugo's Yankee teammates told him that he could make up for his slumps in the postseason, they were alluding to his strong October track record. In 11 playoff games with the Boston Red Sox in 2021, the lefty was rock-solid with a .310/.383/.452 slash line with 13 hits (four for extra bases, including a home run), six RBI, a 126 wRC+, and 0.25 Win Probability Added; Verdugo's play was integral to Boston advancing to the ALCS that year.

On Saturday, Verdugo made a very similar impact. Batting ninth in New York's lineup, he reached base three out of four times with two singles and a walk; all three of those those successful plate appearances would result in a run scoring. The 28-year-old's leadoff single in the third inning was immediately followed by a two-run home run by Gleyber Torres, and his leadoff walk in the sixth inning eventually resulted in him scoring on a game-tying knock by Austin Wells. One inning later, Verdugo's two-out, opposite-field single drove in Jazz Chisholm Jr. to put the Bronx Bombers ahead for good.

In addition to his bat, Verdugo made a key play with his glove in the fourth inning; he squashed a budding Royals rally by making a sliding catch in foul territory, which ended the frame with runners on first and second.

This timely performance not only drew praise from Verdugo's Yankee teammates, but the same fans who had been booing him were now cheering him on.

"It’s not going to be our big guys that are always going to come through,” Verdugo said. “It’s going to take everybody. Every at-bat, every pitch in the playoffs matters. This is the kind of baseball that I love."

Verdugo will look to continue his success in Game 2, which will be played on Monday night at 7:38 PM ET in Yankee Stadium.

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Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian is a Rutgers University graduate from the Class of 2022. After an eight-month stint with Jersey Sporting News (JSN), covering Rutgers Football, Rutgers Basketball, and Rutgers Baseball, Najarian became a contributing writer on Inside the Pinstripes and Inside the Mets. He additionally writes on Giants Country, FanNation’s site for the New York Giants. Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeNajarian

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