Bench

April rankings:

1. Red Sox
2. Rays
3. Blue Jays
4. Yankees
5. Orioles

Among the many things that went right for the Yankees this year was their bench depth. The previously mentioned Hicks played very well as a fourth outfielder before grabbing the starting job in center field, and utility man Ronald Torreyes filled in capably while infielders Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro were on the shelf.

The Blue Jays, too, leaned heavily on their bench when their starting lineup was destroyed by injuries. Steve Pearce, Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney — who all started the season on the bench — ended up getting regular playing time, with mixed results. The Red Sox didn’t get much help from super utility guy Brock Holt, who batted just .200 this year, but catcher Sandy Leon and outfielder Chris Young contributed off the bench as did late-season acquisition Eduardo Nunez.

In April, I wrote that the Rays’ strong depth was highlighted by 26-year-old Nick Franklin — who didn’t end up playing a game for Tampa Bay in 2017, getting waived before Opening Day. Another great call by me. The Rays ended up with a revolving door of bench guys, most of whom weren’t good. And the Orioles, as usual, had little depth on their bench beyond backup catcher Caleb Joseph.

End-of-season rankings:

1. Yankees
2. Blue Jays
3. Rays
4. Red Sox
5. Orioles

 

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