235/.336/.409 (99 OPS+) in 2012, which was split between the Red Sox and White Sox. Although he was only a couple years older, Youkilis's triple-slash numbers dwindled to. The entire swing itself was a tiny bit longer in time as well, and those nanoseconds make a difference in a sport where the decision to swing or not must be made in a split-second. In addition to spending more time on the Disabled List, he started to bring his hands up even higher in his stance and gripping the bat even less so than before. It was bizarre, but it worked.ĭuring the past two seasons though, the years of various injuries (most notably to his hands) caught up to him. "The Man of 1,000 Stances" for his indecisiveness on domestic issues. It was strange to see someone with such an odd batting stance achieve such success, but then again, pundits did not call Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. Over the course of three seasons from 2008-10, Youkilis was one of the most dangerous hitters baseball, batting. He became accustomed to major-league pitching, and in '08, he emerged as legitimate MVP candidate. 442 on-base percentage, and after a couple split seasons in '04 and '05 between Triple-A Pawtucket and Boston, he inherited a regular spot in the '06 Red Sox lineup as its first baseman.
Youk stormed through the minors with an incredible. His approach at the plate was unorthodox, but it sure as hell worked through 2010. For years, it was the most iconic part of Youkilis's game aside from the somewhat-terrifying facial hair that made him look like a Lord of the Rings villain. For years, Youkilis kept his hands back and lightly gripped the bat slightly above his head, then followed through on a swing. Shortly after the Yankees signed Kevin Youkilis to a one-year deal last December, word came out that acclaimed team hitting coach Kevin Long would meet with him for a Kevin-on-Kevin tête-à-tête about possible adjustments to his unique batting stance.
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