The Importance Of Josh Donaldson To The Yankees

When the New York Yankees traded for Josh Donaldson last offseason, many fans expected to get the former MVP level of play.

However, they got far from that.

Donaldson struggled throughout his first year in the Bronx, hitting just .222 with 15 home runs.

While he played solid defense, this wasn’t quite enough to make up for his lack of offensive production.

Despite his struggles, the Yankees are still planning on having Donaldson man the hot corner in 2023.

There will be high expectations for him as he will likely be one of the most important players for the Yankees’ success.

Donaldson Gives Lineup Depth

Nobody is expecting Donaldson to return to his 2015 production levels.

However, if he can come somewhat close, it would give the Yankees a huge boost.

It would be a veteran bat that has an affinity to the big moment.

This would be exactly what the Yankees need to round their lineup out.

If he could hit around 25 home runs, with an average around .260-.270, the Yankees would have one of the deepest lineups in baseball.

JOSH DONALDSON HAD ENOUGH pic.twitter.com/toHami1iSQ

— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) August 18, 2022

Along with this, when Donaldson is playing well he gives the team swagger that the Yankees have lacked in recent years.

It was obvious when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays and it went a long way toward helping those teams succeed.

Strong Glove In The Field

While he is far from a defensive specialist, Donaldson was solid in the field last year.

Many will remember some of his bigger errors, but he was consistent when it mattered all season.

Josh Donaldson and Kyle Higashioka keep the Yankees in the lead on defense!#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/yvk1eJsdgB

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 20, 2022

At a position like third base, this level of defense is important.

Between him and DJ LeMahieu, the team is in a good spot defensively.

Donaldson needs to keep that level of play up if they hope to make a deeper playoff run in 2023.