The Yankees entered Wednesday with the very best slugging proportion within the American League, a product largely of their prime 5 hitters — Aaron Decide, Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu.
One member of the lineup who has proven some promising indicators, however not hit for energy, is Aaron Hicks.
He entered Tuesday with the bottom slugging proportion of any Yankee lineup common (.294) and he’s been particularly unproductive from the left aspect of the plate.
Hicks is assured the ability will come and it’s not a results of the surgical procedure he had final season to restore a torn sheath in his left wrist.
“The wrist is nice,’’ Hicks stated.
However by 87 plate appearances, Hicks had only one extra-base hit.
So the place has the ability gone?
In accordance with Hicks, it’s extra a product of on a regular basis he’s missed — not simply final season, however since 2019.
“I simply suppose quite a lot of it’s seeing large league pitching and the way it’s developed and adjusted,’’ Hicks stated. “There’s extra offspeed stuff now than fastballs and I’m attempting to sport plan towards it.”

It’s one thing he didn’t do a lot of when he was restricted to 32 video games final season.
The final time he appeared in additional than 59 video games was in 2018, when Hicks performed 132 video games — though he was largely wholesome throughout the 2020 season that was shortened to 60 video games because of COVID.
“I’m simply attempting to get again to the place I used to be,’’ Hicks stated. “I used to be centered on attempting to get hits and ensure I received off to an excellent begin and I believe I did fairly effectively with that.”
He nonetheless considers energy to be an necessary a part of his sport and believes it’s going to return as he will get extra snug on the plate.
“I’ve been hitting the ball the opposite method left-handed, which isn’t normal for me,’’ Hicks stated. “The extra at-bats I get, the extra I’ll be again to my outdated self.”
He entered Tuesday 11-for-34 from the left aspect — all singles. And he was 6-for-21 batting right-handed, with a homer.
“I’m simply lacking some pitches, which I believe is as a result of I used to be out for therefore lengthy final 12 months after which we had the shortened spring coaching,’’ Hicks stated of the truncated spring brought on by the MLB lockout within the offseason. “I haven’t been in a position to lock in.”
Runs and energy have been down across the majors, with elements together with the everyday chilly climate, improved pitching and the potential of deadened balls.
Hicks hasn’t been in a position to pinpoint the difficulty, however scouts are conflicted about what to make of Hicks’ begin.

“He’s been affected person and getting on base, however I’ve been ready for him to flash that energy,’’ stated one AL scout. “It’s not all the time there constantly, nevertheless it all the time comes out sooner or later.”
One other scout pointed to Mark Teixeira, who had a wrist harm much like Hicks and wanted a couple of 12 months to rediscover his energy stroke.
“I don’t suppose everybody recovers the identical method, particularly with one thing like that,’’ the NL scout stated.
Hicks’ common exit velocity is correct round his profession numbers.
“I believe he’s wholesome and the hotter climate and extra at-bats will get him again to the place he was,’’ the NL scout stated.