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Who will have the best season of the revamped “Murderers’ Row”?

With a lot of power on the team, which star will have the most upside for the Yankees?

The New York Yankees got off to a great start to begin the season, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 yesterday at Rogers Centre. Luis Severino was magnificent, but the focus was on the revamped “Murderers’ Row” of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez.

Judge had two hits, including a double and a walk in his debut. Sanchez was also great, collecting two hits and an RBI double. The star of Opening Day was Giancarlo Stanton, hitting a home run in his first Yankee at-bat. He also had a double and another monster blast. He immediately proved to be a great investment by the Yankees. The three monsters in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup had a great day, but the biggest question throughout the season will be who winds up with the best hitter of the three this year.

The case for Aaron Judge

Judge finished the regular season last year with a .284 batting average, .422 OBP, 52 home runs and 114 RBIs. He was the AL Rookie of the Year and finished second in MVP voting to Jose Altuve. Judge came out of nowhere with a great rookie season after being overlooked at the beginning of the 2017 season. He was practically impossible to get out in the beginning of season. If not for a two month slump late in the year he would have finished with an even more impressive slash line.

The biggest reason why Judge may have the best season of the three is where he bats in the lineup. Judge will bat second for most of the season behind Brett Gardner, and he will be in a prime spot to walk a ton with the protection behind him. If he stays healthy he’ll have plenty of opportunities for good pitches, monstrous home runs and RBIs.

The case for Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton recently closed his stance a bit to get a further reach of the outside of the plate, a hindrance that he’s had for a long time. Stanton was last year’s NL MVP with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs with a depleted Marlins roster. He was traded to the Yankees this offseason for an absolute bargain and is fitted right in the middle of a previously potent lineup.

Stanton will benefit from being in-between Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez in the lineup. Like Judge, he will have plenty of opportunities for good pitches to see. The biggest reason that Stanton will have an even better season compared to last year is his clean bill of health and renewed energy on a World Series contender. Stanton has spent most of his time on a middling Marlins team and has never had a full healthy season. That’s not to say that he won’t pull a muscle at some point during the season. He has had a string of bad luck with freak injuries that’s kept him on the shelf. Look for him to stay in the lineup for most of the season.

The case for Gary Sanchez

Gary Sanchez has been the Yankees’ best hitter since he’s come up from the minors. He has cemented himself as one of the core players on this great Yankees team, and he’s only going to get better. His defense has regressed but he has improved greatly over the past few weeks. After some intense training, he looks to return to form after being lazy at best behind the plate.

“The Kraken” will be one of the best hitters in the league this year in the middle of this great lineup. He reminds everyone of a more patient Robinson Cano at the plate, with a smooth as butter swing and a great eye. Sanchez may not have the pop that Judge and Stanton have, but he’ll more than make up for it with doubles. Even so, Sanchez can still rake up to 40 home runs if he sees the same pitches the other two see. He WILL be the best hitter on the team by a pretty large margin. He doesn’t strike out nearly as much as the other two and is more than just a power hitter.

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