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Predicting the Yankees Opening Day lineup in 3 parts

By Zachary Rotman

Feb 21, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) warm up during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) warm up during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo
Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

If the Yankees do opt to use Giancarlo Stanton in right field, their lineup becomes deeper and better. Here’s how it’d look on Opening Day.

The biggest issue the New York Yankees had in the postseason last season was scoring runs. They managed to score just nine runs in their series against the Astros, five of which came in the fourth and final game. If Aaron Judge wasn’t hitting a home run, the offense wasn’t doing much of anything.

The Yankees need to find a way to get more consistent hitting from the players they have on their roster, one being Giancarlo Stanton. The former NL MVP has had a Yankees tenure filled with injuries and inconsistency. One way Stanton believes he can improve is if he can play in the outfield again like he used to.

This is a risk health-wise, and won’t happen every single day, but something Aaron Boone and the Yankees have considered is putting Stanton in right and shifting reigning MVP Aaron Judge to left field at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees open their season in the Bronx, so this alignment could be used. Let’s see how the lineup would shape up if it is.

1. Batting first for the Yankees as the DH D.J. Lemahieu

D.J. Lemahieu being out at the end of last season definitely hurt the Yankees. They lost their leadoff hitter due to a foot issue that was plaguing the second half of his season. Lemahieu had a .786 OPS in the first half and was at his best in July, hitting .344, before watching his production plummet in August and September.

When at his best, Lemahieu is a really good table setter for the likes of Judge, Anthony Rizzo, and Stanton. The Yankees hope to get him at his best in 2023, and using him at DH sometimes can help him stay fresh.

2. Batting second for the Yankees and playing LF Aaron Judge

The reigning MVP bats second, and that’s where he should be 99% of the time when he’s in the lineup. Ideally, the Yankees would have a stronger bottom of the order to create more run-scoring opportunities for Judge, but he should get a decent amount of RBI chances with Lemahieu in front of him. He has to hit second because it gives him more at-bats in the long run. More Judge at-bats mean a higher chance of scoring runs.

It’s unrealistic to expect Judge to have another 60-home run season, but can he hit 50? The Yankees not adding to this lineup and hoping that their prospects produce is a bold move, and if they don’t do so right away, the team could be in trouble. There’s a lot of pressure on Judge to have another MVP year. Doing so while playing a position he hasn’t played since college is a pretty big ask.

3. Batting third for the Yankees and playing 1B Anthony Rizzo

Anthony Rizzo has been slotted in between Judge and Stanton for a decent amount of his Yankees tenure and it should be no different in 2023. The former World Series champion was one of the few producers in the postseason for New York, and he had a really solid regular season too.

His average was down at just .224 but he walked 10.6% of the time and hit 32 home runs in 130 games. Rizzo should have a lot of chances to drive in runs hitting behind Lemahieu and Judge, and I’d fully trust him to come through in clutch situations. Rizzo hit third most of the time last season and had his best numbers in that spot. Look out for another 30+ season from him in 2023.

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