As the New York Yankees progress through Spring Training, one veteran is attempting to make a case to be on the roster come Opening Day. Here’s why Derek Dietrich could end up an important member of the Yankees this season.
Go, Dietz, Go
The 31-year-old utilityman received a non-roster invite to Spring Training with the Yankees this season. In 5 at-bats, Dietrich has hit a home run (his lone hit), and driven in two. He has also drawn a walk, and been hit by a pitch (a specialty of his).
Dietrich is essentially a super-utility player, who has major experience at numerous positions. In his career, he’s logged 1906 and 1/3 innings at second base, 1193 in the outfield, 1097 and 1/3 at third base, and 556 at first. However, that last position could be the difference maker when it comes to a spot on the team.
Derek Dietrich: First Baseman?
When you glance at the Yankees’ projected roster for Opening Day, it seems pretty full. There’s four (potentially five) outfielders, which would seemingly prevent Dietrich from logging any innings out there. However, his experience at first base could secure him a role with the Bronx Bombers.
As of right now, the Yanks’ backup first baseman would likely be Mike Ford. Ford is a left-handed hitter who has spent time in the majors in both 2019 and 2020. He even got a few at-bats in last year’s postseason.
However, Ford certainly isn’t the end-all-be-all when it comes to the backup 1B role. Let’s compare the two for a moment.
In 79 career games, Mike Ford has posted a slashline of .217/.308/.461, with a 104 OPS+. Dietrich has played 746 games, with a line of .245/.335/.428, and a 107 OPS+.
So, that’s actually relatively similar. However, Dietrich has proved that he can produce at that level for years now. He was a full-time starter for the Marlins and Reds from 2016 to 2019, and has been in the league since 2013. As I mentioned previously, Ford has only played 79 career games.
The fielding comes into play as well. In 556 innings at first, Dietrich has posted 0 DRS and a 2.0 UZR/150 (Fangraphs). Not spectacular, but solid. In 309 innings at first, Ford has posted -1 DRS and a -8.9 UZR/150. So, that’s noticeably worse than Dietrich’s marks at the position.
And then, of course, there’s the factor of versatility.
We already know that Dietrich can play all over the field, with significant time at first, second, third, and the outfield. Mike Ford has exclusively played first or been a DH (he also pitched once, but we don’t like to talk about that).
The Curious Case of Derek Dietrich
Quite honestly, Dietrich is a fascinating player. Since the start of the 2019 season, he has hit just .189. However, he has also posted an OPS+ of 102 in that span. So, despite the fact that he failed to even hit .200, he was still above-average as a hitter. How is that possible?
Last season, Dietrich had 12 hits in 61 at-bats. But, out of those 12 hits, 6 of them were for extra bases. In 2019, he recorded 47 hits in 251 at-bats. 25 of those 47 hits went for extra bases (Numbers from Baseball Savant).
So, basically, whenever Dietrich makes contact, he does damage. He does, of course, strike out a lot, with a K rate of 28% last season (also via Baseball Savant).
However, he also has been a bit unlucky in those past two seasons. His xBA in 2019 was .213, and he finished with an actual batting average of .187. In 2020, it was the same story. An xBA of .239 did not nearly reflect his actual average (.197).
A Look at the Yankees
When you look at the Yankees’ position players, overall, here’s what you get:
Outfielders: Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier, Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman (maybe?)
Infielders: D.J LeMahieu, Luke Voit, Gleyber Torres, Gio Urshela, Tyler Wade
Catchers: Gary Sanchez, Kyle Higashioka
DH: Giancarlo Stanton
That gives you 13 players. Presuming that the team decides to go with a usual 5-man rotation and 8-man bullpen, there’s no room to add another player. However, this doesn’t mean it will remain the case.
Mike Tauchman’s spot on this team is by no means assured. If Giancarlo Stanton is going to be eased back into the field, that’s essentially six outfielders on the team. Even five is probably too many.
Now, Tauchman doesn’t have any options remaining. So, if he doesn’t make the roster, he would either have to be waived, or traded. But trading Tauchman doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
If this is true, then the Bronx Bombers should be able to unload him without much issue, and with a (hopefully) decent return.
Tauchman vs Dietrich
Yes, Tauchman had an awful 2020. He also had a great 2019. Truth be told, he likely isn’t as good as his 2019, but not as bad as his 2020. He’s probably somewhere in the middle.
While he could be a valuable piece if he can figure it out, the Yankees can’t quite afford to wait for that moment. They’re here to win a World Series this year. They already have numerous outfielders that will provide the production they desire at the position.
Injuries are always a factor, especially with this Yankee team. But that’s part of what makes Dietrich so valuable. He can fill in at any infield position besides short (which is why Tyler Wade remains on the roster), and could also play the corner outfield spots if need be. Dietrich provides extra value this way, in a way that players like Mike Tauchman and Mike Ford cannot.
Also: he’s cool. Tell me you don’t want to see absolute moonshots into the right field seats from this guy:
Like I mentioned earlier, when Dietrich connects, the ball typically goes a long way. Here’s an example:
Of course, the style isn’t the only reason for him to make the team. But, since I just spent almost 1,000 words explaining why it makes sense for purely baseball reasons, I figured this was a good way to finish it off.
So, if Dietrich continues to have a solid spring, we could see him wearing pinstripes on Opening Day.