2024 Year In Review: Alex Verdugo
Alex Verdugo was an everyday starter for a 94-win New York Yankees team in 2024 that reached the World Series for the first time in 15 years.
The Bronx Bombers acquired the outfielder from the Boston Red Sox in the offseason. He became the third fiddle to an outfield that also had MVP candidates Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
Verdugo slashed .233/.291/.356 while hitting 13 home runs and driving in 61 runs. It was the first year since 2020 that he didn’t reach 30 doubles and he only had a 0.7 WAR and below-average 83 OPS+
Verdugo provided solid defense in left field in 2024. He was a Gold Glove finalist at the position. Verdugo played 141 of his 149 games in left and had seven assists while only committing one error.
Verdugo’s OPS dipped to .622 in 14 playoff games. He hit one home run and had 8 RBIs in the Yankees’ run to Game 5 of the World Series.
Verdugo spent most of the season in the bottom half of the Bronx Bombers’ batting order. He hit eighth or ninth in every postseason game as well.
The outfielder’s best game by win probability added came in a 10-4 Yankees win against the Houston Astros on May 7. Verdugo hit a three-run homer off Justin Verlander in the first inning. He then added an RBI single in the third to give him four RBIs in the victory.
Verdugo is a current free agent. There haven’t been many rumors for a reunion between him and the Yankees as Jasson Dominguez is expected to take over as the team’s everyday left fielder in 2025. Verdugo should command a starting role on whichever team he ends up on next year.
Casey Fahrer is a 2024 graduate of Syracuse University and a contributor to Inside The Pinstripes. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.
What's Trending
