How Yankees' lineup would look with Shohei Ohtani

Posted May 26, 2018 at 06:00 AM | Updated May 26, 2018 at 06:02 AM

Shohei Ohtani

Frank Franklin II | AP

By Brendan Kuty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEW YORK — Imagine if instead of facing Aroldis Chapman with the game on the line Friday night, Shohei Ohtani leaning on the dugout fence, hanging on every pitch.

And wearing pinstripes.

The Yankees wanted Ohtani badly in the offseason, but he spurned them for the Angels because he wanted to play in a smaller market and because he didn’t want to be on the East Coast.

With Ohtani’s Yankee Stadium debut behind him — a 2-1 Yankees win in which he went hitless in three at-bats with a walk — let’s imagine what manager Aaron Boone’s lineup would have looked like with the Japanese star in it.]

New York Yankees v Texas Rangers

Adam Hunger | USA Today Sports

1. Brett Gardner

Position: Left field

Age: 34

2018 stats: .233 BA, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 43 G, 163 AB, .666 OPS

Why: Don’t overthink it. Gardner is the Yankees’ best leadoff candidate. Long at-bats, plenty of speed, some pop – though it’s been mostly absent this season.

MLB: Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees

Adam Hunger | USA Today Sports

2. Aaron Judge

Position: Right field

Age: 26

2018 stats: .279 BA, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 48 G, 179 AB, .968 OPS

Why: Judge has hit second all year — save for one plate appearance when he pinch hit in the No. 9 spot. The majority of his big-league plate appearances have come hitting second.

Frank Franklin II | AP

3. Shohei Ohtani

Position: DH

Age: 23

2018 stats: .309 BA, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 28 G, 97 AB, .967 OPS

Why: Yup. Shohei Ohtani, by now, would be the Yankees’ No. 3 hitter. That’s what got away. The only reason Ohtani isn’t the most feared hitter in his own Angels lineup is because it also includes Mike Trout. Watch the video of Ohtani’s batting practice above and imagine him doing that full time at Yankee Stadium.

Mike Trout

Frank Franklin II | AP

4. Gary Sanchez

Position: Catcher

Age: 26

2018 stats: .230 BA, 12 HR, 33 RBI, 43 G, 152 AB, .873 OPS

Why: Sanchez would assume Giancarlo Stanton’s usual cleanup position because — you guessed it — Stanton would be playing elsewhere, maybe with the Dodgers. The Marlins were backed in to trading Stanton to the Yankees because of his no-trade clause.

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