It's hard not to feel good about the New York Yankees after they put up 20 runs on Saturday. Still, there was a red flag in their 20-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium.
Former MLB reliever and current analyst CJ Nitkowski pointed out a big concern after watching the Yankees' defensive struggles unfold behind ace Max Fried.
Reflecting on conversations he'd had all winter with MLB Network Radio partner Ryan Spilborghs on their tremendous "Loud Outs" show, Nitkowski raised the red flag on the Yankees' failure to address their defensive shortcomings, especially at third base.
"Something Spilly and I talked about all winter was that in order to get the full value of Max Fried, you better make sure the infield defense behind him is good," Nitkowski tweeted following the Yankees' error-ridden performance. Despite the Yankees scoring 18 runs (at the time he tweeted and 20 total) to mask their defensive woes, Nitkowski emphasized, "18 runs will cover just about anything, but you won't score 18 every game."
After losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets in free agency, the Yankees pivoted to run-prevention in the offseason. The first move was to sign Fried to a historic $218 million deal, but the Yankees didn't do anything to address the hole at third base.
Fried, known for generating ground balls and relying heavily on his infielders, saw the Yankees commit five errors behind him, casting a spotlight on the team's offseason decision not to strengthen their third-base position.
Pablo Reyes, a non-roster invitee to spring training, started at third base on Saturday, underscoring concerns about the team's depth and defensive reliability at third base. These defensive lapses all around the field were a concerning red flag for the Yankees, even on a day when it didn't matter thanks to their franchise-record nine home runs.
Nitkowski and Spilborghs' preseason insights proved prophetic in this early-season matchup. For a Yankees team with championship aspirations, addressing infield defense behind Fried now appears crucial.
