As Alex Verdugo stood on second base on Saturday night, he triumphantly raised his hands and pounded his chest as Yankee Stadium roared.
The left fielder had just shot an opposite field single the other way off Michael Lorenzen, scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. and giving the Yankees a 6-5 lead in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the ALDS. The Bombers eventually beat the Royals by that score. Verdugo, who advanced to second on the knock, was a huge reason why after Aaron Boone said it was a “fairly” easy call to start him over Jasson Domínguez.
Throughout the year, Verdugo’s body language wasn’t always as self-congratulatory. Receptions from the crowd, meanwhile, were hardly as appreciative with the impending free agent enduring a tough first — and possibly only — season in the Bronx.
“Fans booing me, fans getting on me, I understand it,” said Verdugo, who found out he’d be starting Game 1 a few days ago. “I was booing myself too.”
Many of those fans wanted Domínguez to replace Verdugo, even after the prospect’s defensive deficiencies came to light. Verdugo said he “understood” why The Martian was called up in September and took playing time away from him, though he added, “I wasn’t happy about it.”
Even as Domínguez received a look at Verdugo’s expense, Boone maintained confidence in the veteran throughout his struggles. That faith resulted in redemption in the Yankees’ return to the postseason on Saturday.
“It’s not always what you did,” Boone said. “It’s what you’re capable of doing moving forward.
“I think he’s been champing at the bit for postseason baseball. He’s had experience doing it before. He’s had success doing it before. I think this is one of those things that hopefully gives him a lot of confidence moving forward.”
Verdugo got the nod in left field and came through on both sides of the game. Great game from Dugie pic.twitter.com/iO30B8rO37
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) October 6, 2024
Verdugo, who noted that he benefitted from eating better with the help of a chef toward the end of the season, contributed more than just the go-ahead hit in the victory.
All in all, he went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. He also stopped the Royals from adding on to a two-run inning when he made a sliding catch near the left field foul line in the fourth frame.
The ball bounced off the heel of Verdugo’s glove, but he quickly snagged it with his bare hand.
“I didn’t even know it did that,” Boone said. “I just knew he caught it. I didn’t go look at the replay.”
Added Gerrit Cole, who watched the play from the mound: “He did a wonderful job tracking it down and timed his slide perfect and made it look easy.”
This is why Verdugo is starting at LF tonight pic.twitter.com/KZ09jwlJYi
— Yankees Pod
(@YankeesPod) October 5, 2024
“Easy” is not a word that often described Verdugo’s 2024 campaign.
Acquired in an offseason trade with the Red Sox, he arrived with some baggage after Boston manager Alex Cora benched him for tardiness and lack of hustle last season.
Verdugo’s effort remained a topic of conversation throughout the year, especially as he posted a .600 OPS from May 8 through the end of the regular season. However, Boone downplayed the subject when asked about it, and Verdugo ingratiated himself to the Yankees’ clubhouse from the get-go with his colorful personality and willingness to play while beat up.
On Saturday, he said he depended on his teammates as outside criticism began to pile on throughout the season.
“We ran through a course where I just kind of let it spiral out of control a little bit,” Verdugo said when asked how he handled the noise mentally. “For me, it was just really leaning on my guys in the clubhouse. They all got my back. They all know what kind of player I am and how I played throughout my whole career and just kept telling me, ‘Man, don’t let this season or this little glimpse make your whole year. You can make up for a lot of things in the playoffs.’”
Verdugo specifically named Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo, but he added that “the whole team” offered support.
“This team, they really care for me,” Verdugo said. “I really care for them. They had my back, and I appreciate it a lot. It goes a long way.”
Verdugo also said that he appreciated Boone’s belief in him throughout the season, even when his numbers didn’t warrant it.
He was grateful for the opportunity to repay Boone on Saturday.
“He’s going to trust me, and I just wanted to kind of put that back to him as in like, ‘Hey, man, I got you,’” Verdugo said. “I know the season didn’t go the way I should have really wanted it to go, but the ultimate goal at the end of the day was to get to the playoffs, and that’s where we are.
“Now it’s time to really just go out there and ball out and give it 100 percent.”
