Andujar Answers His Doubters


Miguel Andujar came to camp this year with plenty to prove. Questions hovered over the 2018 runner up for American League Rookie of the Year.

Would his hitting suffer after missing almost all of last season with a serious shoulder injury? Answer #1: Not a bit. He still stings the ball, the same way he did in 2018, the same way he did when I saw him tearing up AA a couple of years earlier with Trenton.

Could he adapt to the outfield as a transition to a multi-position player? Answer #2: Sort of. He did fine in left field and while hardly flashing Aaron Judge-esque instincts in right field, didn't embarrass himself there. With 3rd base in the Bronx now capably manned by Gio Urshela, Andujar's future could well be in the outfield, where his iffy instincts at the hot corner won't be detriment.

Might Andujar also be able to play some first base? Answer #3: Not likley. One fumble prone game earlier this month was apparently all that Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman chose to see.

Andujar will never be Brooks Robinson or Tino Martinez in the field. But wait! He doesn't have to be. That sweet, powerful stroke will serve him just fine in left field or at DH.

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