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Each time José Caballero approaches the batter’s box, he casts a subtle glance towards the third baseman’s position.
For a batter capable of sending the ball over the fence, spotting the third baseman playing deep is an invitation for Caballero to make solid contact and utilize his speed on the bases.
“Bunting is something I really enjoy,” Caballero remarked on Tuesday, marking a significant moment for fans of the bunting technique within the Yankees community.
In an unusual pre-game ritual outside the typical spring training schedule, the Yankees dedicated a session to batting practice before the main on-field drills. Players like Caballero, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, and Ryan McMahon took turns practicing bunts against a pitching machine. Gerrit Cole even joined in, highlighting the session’s distinctiveness.
Expressing a renewed dedication to bunting—an old-school skill cherished by many supporters and strategically advantageous for prompting shifts in defensive positioning—is not unheard of.
But the Yankees, who are returning just about the same lineup that led baseball in home runs last season, say they are serious about being good at the smallest ball there is.
“Obviously, when you look at our offense, you think about what we do as far as driving the ball,” hitting coach James Rowson said Tuesday before the Yankees’ offense struggled in a 7-1 loss to the Angels. “But at the end of the day, you’re trying to find the best way to score runs all the time and put yourself in position to win games.”
The Yankees witnessed firsthand how successful bunts can swing games, swept in Tampa last weekend in a series in which the Rays laid down eight bunts that moved along runners and created problems for the Yankees’ infield.
Watching the athletic Rays use the tactic to perfection did not necessarily prompt Tuesday’s pregame work, Rowson said, but rather a push from the Yankees’ hitting meetings to ensure “we have everything covered.”
“Let’s make sure we’re consistent with it,” Rowson said. “Let’s make sure we’re doing it throughout the year, we’re doing it all the time. I think today you saw an example of the little things … to make sure we stay on top of the details.”
Making sure the Yankees can bunt does not necessarily equate to making sure the Yankees bunt all the time. The Yankees laid down three bunts in their first 17 games, including Tuesday, unsuccessful attempts at hits from Chisholm and Caballero. Ryan McMahon grounded out on a bunt when attempting to get a hit in the sixth inning in Tuesday’s loss.
Rowson considers bunting an underutilized skill throughout the game and would like to see it used more.
There will be times — almost certainly in October, plus against better pitching along the way — when the Yankees are not finding the long balls they are accustomed to and have to score using smaller ball.
When those times come, Rowson believes they will be ready.
“There are some games where you may feel like, ‘Man, a bunt right here may put a guy on base, may move a guy over, may do something that puts us in a better opportunity to win the game,’” Rowson said. “And I think winning the game supersedes everything.”