Alex Verdugo has regained his hitting form.
The New York Yankees have faced a lot of negative press lately, but their fortunes are turning around with a five-game winning streak. They completed a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, largely due to contributions from the lineup beyond Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who have been consistently performing.
Outfielder Alex Verdugo shared his thoughts on whether there’s a different vibe in the clubhouse now, speaking to YES Network.
“I mean yeah, kinda, but not really,” Verdugo said. “Inside the clubhouse, we know who we are as a team, and we’ve got each other’s backs. We knew it was just a matter of time before we started coming out of our funk and everyone started contributing. The big guys have been there for us all year.”
"We know who we've got, we know who we are as a whole and we've got each other's backs no matter what."
Alex Verdugo discusses the Yankees re-discovering their identity. pic.twitter.com/f05HabB3uO
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 31, 2024
The “big guys” refer to Judge and Soto. Even as the team struggled, Judge maintained a .409 batting average in June and .333 in July, while Soto hit .275 in June and .330 in July.
Verdugo himself had been struggling, batting .219 in June and .220 in July, but he has found his rhythm lately, with hits in seven of his last eight games.
“For me, it was about staying inside the ball and getting back to my strengths, which is using the other field,” Verdugo added. “We’re feeling better, just not trying to do too much and letting the big guys handle that.”
The question now is whether Verdugo and the Yankees can keep this momentum going.
The Yankees have shown that this win streak isn’t a fluke
New York has now won five consecutive games, bringing their total wins to 65, which ties them with the Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, and Phillies for the most in the MLB. Although the Yankees have been 25-26 over their last 51 games, they were the top team in baseball until mid-June. The team has a strong foundation that helps them stay grounded, even during challenging times.
“I think it’s a combination of things. It’s the hard work everyone puts in, the preparation, the trust in themselves, and the belief that the results will come,” Verdugo explained. “You can’t let yourself get too high or too low, whether you’re struggling or excelling. You just have to trust that you’re preparing the right way every day. I think Jazz coming over and giving us an immediate boost has also been huge. At this point in the season, you have to set aside personal pride and do whatever it takes to win.”
One Yankee who could elevate the team is DJ LeMahieu, who drove in a career-high six runs in Wednesday’s 6-5 victory. The veteran infielder is batting just .182 this season but feels like he’s “onto something” after his standout performance, according to The New York Post’s Dan Martin.
“It’s been a tough stretch for me,’’ LeMahieu admitted. “But today definitely felt good.”
When players beyond the team’s “big stars” hit consistently for New York, they become a formidable opponent.
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