Fansided

7 things we learned from Yankees-Red Sox series

By Rucker Haringey

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 01: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees tips his cap to the crowd as he leaves a game against the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on July 1, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 01: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees tips his cap to the crowd as he leaves a game against the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on July 1, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – JULY 01: Aaron Hicks #31 of the New York Yankees celebrates his fourth inning home run against the Boston Red Sox in the dugout with teammate Didi Gregorius #18 at Yankee Stadium on July 1, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 01: Aaron Hicks #31 of the New York Yankees celebrates his fourth inning home run against the Boston Red Sox in the dugout with teammate Didi Gregorius #18 at Yankee Stadium on July 1, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

3. Aaron Hicks can be the Yankees’ X-factor

Some Yankees fans have expressed some confusion as to why Hicks was inserted into the leadoff spot ahead of Brett Gardner. The simple truth is that Hicks is raking when he’s given the chance to hit at the top of the order.

When hitting first, Hicks is hitting .288 with nine home runs and four doubles in just 73 at bats. Needless to say, Boone would love to see that level of production continue over a larger sample size.

In all fairness to Hicks, he’s been pretty good this season wherever he’s been in the order. He’s sporting an outstanding WAR of 2.2 through just 64 games. His combination of power and speed gives the Yankees’ lineup something different no matter where he’s hitting.

Of course, his performance in Game 3 was Hicks’ best outing of the season. He blasted three home runs and was a key figure in the Yankees’ 11-1 win. He won’t play like that every day, but his potential to have such huge games will go a long way towards keeping him in Boone’s lineup.

Hicks is never going to be the biggest star on this team, but he’s just the sort of player that can have a huge game in October to change a series. Look for Hicks to reward Boone’s trust in him once the postseason arrives.

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