Alex Verdugo Has Shown The Yankees What They Should Do To Save Their Season

There’s no two ways about it, the New York Yankees are in trouble.

I’m a Boston Red Sox fan, so I’d be lying if I said I was disappointed by this. I don’t wake up every morning and base my happiness on the Yankees’ recent struggles (they’ve lost 15 of their last 20 games and have looked awful in most of those games). But it does put a smile on my face, particularly because the Red Sox have handed the Bronx Bombers four of those 20 losses - two on Sunday Night Baseball.

The Yankees have been frustrated at many points over the past two weeks. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Last night’s 3-0 Boston dub came by virtue of a seven-inning gem by Kutter Crawford and three solo home runs - two by Rafael Devers, one by Ceddanne Rafaela. With the shutout win, the Red Sox took two of three from the Yankees in their home stadium.

Now you might be thinking that this is a sign that New York could plummet into chaos for the rest of the year. Not going to lie, that would be awesome!

But I don’t foresee that happening. As much as I hate New York, I will quickly admit that they have too talented a roster to not right the ship eventually. 

However, it will take something special for New York to pick themselves up. Luckily, Alex Verdugo might have just shown the Yankees how to do it.

Alex Verdugo Hates The Red Sox, And So Should The Rest Of The Yankees

During Saturday’s game (a 14-4 blowout win for New York), Alex Verdugo smacked a two-run blast to tie the game at three. After sending that ball into the stands, he unleashed a noticeable backflip and took over 30 seconds to round the bases to trot the bases.

It’s been well documented that Verdugo doesn’t think very highly of the Red Sox thanks to his tense split with the team. Each time he plays Boston, he plays with extra flare and looks for any chance to get back at his former team and current rival.

Frankly, that’s something the Yankees could rally around.

I need not do a deep dive into the history between these storied franchises. Simply put, the two teams despise each other, thanks to countless dramatic moments that have unfolded between them (the Bucky Dent home run, Aaron Boone’s walk-off blast, the 2004 ALCS, etc). While some Yankees players have tried to downplay the rivalry in recent memory, Verdugo is trying to restock it.

Jun 29, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) looks on against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports

And that’s exactly what the Yankees should emulate.

Buy into this rivalry. Workout harder, mark the games on your calendar. Give yourself something to be motivated by. Make it a top priority in your season to beat the Red Sox. If they start playing with Verdugo’s intensity in those games, it will carry over into their matchups with other opponents.

Doing this just might turn the Yankees’ season around.