The Yankees’ ugly October exit has pushed a familiar argument back into the spotlight: maybe it’s time to stop chasing the big swing and start chasing more bat-to-ball. After New York hit just .130 against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 ALDS, fans immediately began calling for a different kind of lineup, one built around contact instead of the strikeout-heavy slugging that defined the series.
That frustration has already turned into wish lists. Some around the fan base want the Yankees to go after three-time batting champ Luis Arraez in free agency.
If not him, then maybe a trade for Miami Marlins infielder Xavier Edwards. The theory is simple enough: add more hitters who put the ball in play and the postseason pain goes away.
But the numbers don’t really back that idea. As of October 15, the league-wide postseason batting average sat at .212, and since then it has slipped to .210.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Rays were tied at the top during the regular season with a .258 average, but the Cleveland Guardians are in the ALCS right now despite ranking 24th at .239. Of the top 10 teams in batting average, five missed the playoffs entirely.
Of the five that did get in, the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs were out in the Division Series or earlier, while the Dodgers - third in batting average - were shut down by the Brewers.
Contact helps, but it clearly isn’t the whole answer.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan dug into the hitting challenge with Alex Bregman and Joey Votto, focusing on the details that make October so difficult: positioning on the rubber, arm angles, spin rates, extension and more. Once the postseason arrives, teams are facing the best pitchers in the sport, and the quality jumps fast.
That’s why stringing together singles all night is not some magic postseason formula. Against top arms, you have to make the rare mistake count.
That matters when looking back at the Yankees’ season-ending loss. The Rays series lasted only three games, and it came right after New York’s offense exploded for 18 runs in 18 innings against the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox pitching staff finished third in the league in ERA, ahead of the Dodgers and just behind the Brewers, so that was no soft landing. The Yankees hit enough to advance there.
They simply didn’t carry it over.
The ALDS also came down to a few inches here and there. Cody Bellinger’s fifth-inning drive to dead center with the bases loaded in Game 2 was close to a grand slam, and Anthony Volpe’s fly ball to left was another near-miss that could have changed the feel of the series. Those are the kinds of moments that can flip a playoff story in a heartbeat.
The larger problem, though, wasn’t a lack of pure contact hitters. It was that too often the lineup just didn’t have enough good hitters.
At different points, New York was leaning on bats like Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Heliot Ramos, Amed Rosario and Ryan McMahon. George Lombard Jr. might become a plus hitter down the line, but he isn’t there yet.
There is still value in the little things. A bunt, a sac fly, moving a runner over - those matter.
But strikeouts are not automatically the worst outcome either, especially when the alternative is grounding into a double play. And a hitter like Arraez, for all the appeal of the batting average, is still a one-dimensional player.
He brings no walks, no speed and no power, which makes him another version of the same problem if he’s the only answer.
The Yankees need to improve their lineup, no question. They just shouldn’t fool themselves into thinking that contact alone is the cure.
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What has made Kilby especially interesting is the way the Yankees are reshaping his offensive game to fit what comes next. He has worked to improve pitch recognition and cut down on ground balls, and the early results in Arizona have only sharpened the conversation about where he fits long term. Second base has emerged as a possible future landing spot, but for now the organization is getting a clearer look at just how real that path could be. [Read more 🡒]