13 years after beginning his first Opening Day recreation within the Yankees’ farm system, Kyle Higashioka is predicted to lastly get his likelihood to do it with the large league staff on Friday.
The 31-year-old catcher, who debuted with the Yankees in 2017 and has largely served as a backup to Gary Sanchez in elements of 5 seasons since, is ready to begin the season by catching Gerrit Cole in opposition to the Crimson Sox at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s been my aim yearly that I’ve been taking part in,” Higashioka mentioned this week earlier than the Yankees broke camp. “It’s one thing all people goals about as a child.”
The Yankees’ seventh-round choose in 2008 has lengthy been identified for his protection and powerful receiving expertise, which have earned him extra taking part in time and essential begins over the previous two seasons, together with playoff video games.
However his first Opening Day begin within the majors will mark one other milestone for Higashioka, who has had a fan in Cole because the ace arrived in The Bronx in 2020.
“Fairly magical, proper?” Cole mentioned Thursday. “Going into 2020, I don’t know the place folks had him on their depth chart or whatnot. To see him actually tackle one of many hardest catching roles within the league, if not the hardest, is fairly [impressive]. I feel all people’s a fan of Kyle, so it’s actually thrilling for all of us.”
On the onset of spring coaching, the Yankees opened the door for Higashioka to tackle a much bigger position by buying and selling Sanchez — who had began every of the previous 5 Yankees Opening Days at catcher — to the Twins.
Higashioka then went on to take pleasure in an influence surge in Grapefruit League play, with seven dwelling runs whereas batting 11-for-26. His first precedence remains to be protection and dealing together with his pitchers, however the Yankees would definitely profit from a extra constant Higashioka on the plate.
“I do know it’s there,” mentioned Higashioka, a profession .183 hitter with a .619 OPS and 20 dwelling runs in 139 video games. “I’ve proven it in spurts. However the good offensive gamers know tips on how to do it on a constant foundation. That’s what I’ve been missing in previous years, simply that consistency the place I can carry out on a day-in, day-out foundation. That’s positively one thing I’ve been attempting to work on and enhance at.”
Higashioka’s teammates have taken discover, making him an “straightforward man to root for,” DJ LeMahieu mentioned.
“He simply seems to be like he’s in a extremely good place proper now,” LeMahieu mentioned. “He hits quite a lot of fly balls, so he’s in all probability not going to be a median man. But when he has elite protection — which he does, everybody likes throwing to him — if he can hit 20-25 homers, what extra are you able to ask?”
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