Greatness usually isn’t appreciated till it’s not in entrance of you and Aaron Boone is beginning to catch himself taking what’s in entrance of him with no consideration in Aaron Decide.
“Yea, I don’t know, I feel like he’s still getting there,” Boone stated of Decide on Thursday, who’s hitting .417 with 5 homers and 15 RBIs by means of six video games this season. “[I have to snap myself out of expecting more from him] all the time. He hit the double today, I’m like ‘Eh, alright, probably could’ve done more with that pitch.’ And that’s when I’m like, ‘he’s 3-for-4, single, double, homer.’
“And then the last one he stings a ball 110 [mph] to the shortstop and I’m like ‘did you miss that 1-0?’ So, I catch myself having these ridiculous conversations with him because he keeps setting the bar so darn high.”
The Yankees captain completed Thursday’s win over the DBacks 3-for-5 with 4 RBI.
Decide is coming off his second MVP season the place he produced arguably the best offensive season by a right-handed hitter in MLB historical past, slashing .322/.458/.701 with 58 homers, 122 RBI, posting an 11.2 fWAR and 218 wRC+. The 32-year-old reached one other milestone on Thursday night time, recording his five hundredth further base hit in his 999th profession sport. The one Yankees to achieve that mark in fewer video games are Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig.
Engraving his identify within the historical past books has develop into the norm for the single-season AL dwelling run file holder, nevertheless, his teammates nonetheless marvel at what he does day-after-day.
“Guys keep getting on for him and he just keeps on performing, man,” stated Jazz Chisholm Jr. “Showing us why he’s the MVP of this league and one of the best players to ever play this game. We all just try to be like him. We all tell him every day like, ‘hey, we want to be you when we grow up.
“At the same time, we’re just out here playing a team game and we got our big brother leading us; it helps a lot.”
Decide obtained off to a famously gradual begin in his MVP 2024 season. The slugger was slashing .197/.331/.393 by means of his first 33 video games, tallying solely six homers earlier than scorching earth en path to a historic 12 months. The veteran already has 5 homers within the first six video games of this season.
The captain stated his preparation for 2025 was totally different so as to keep away from one other gradual begin.
“Just how we prepared in spring training [is helping me get off to a fast start],” stated Decide. “Did a couple things a little different just to get myself ready for Opening Day — I think that’s the most important thing. Spring training last year, I think I played in the first game and was kind of, play a day, off a day, play a day, off a day.
“I kinda wanted to ramp up, so I was playing basically almost every day, kinda going into the season ready to go. So, just little changes like that, nothing crazy.”
It’s simple to marvel the place Decide’s numbers might find yourself on the finish of this season not solely and not using a gradual begin however one the place he got here roaring out of the gate. And the Yankees, together with Chisholm Jr., are pondering precisely alongside these strains.
“Think of last year he hit, what, 58 [homers]? And had a bad first month. So, imagine right now what he’s about to do.”
Initially Printed: April 4, 2025 at 8:00 AM EDT
