Rizzo couldn't believe his third homer last night. Gallo couldn't believe his first.

I've watched him a couple times this year. I'm sorry to say, he looks a lot like Chris Davis right now. It's like he can't see the ball when it's coming in.

Joel Sherman in the Post today:

It is 10 games. Or are these Games 163-172 of last year?

... The Yankees lineup has returned to the realm of big names, huge expectations and puny results. Even the soundtrack is the same as the endless loop from 2021 for this non-greatest hits album — Aaron Boone promising an imminent breakout that never comes. We would call it a double album, but these Yankees don’t produce doubles.

Colin's spending New Year's day trying to figure out how to fix my posts on Dec. 16.

No he's not; he's spending the day getting ready to go to a science conference, but when he comes back, he'll try to figure it out, and if he succeeds, this is how the first comment for Joey Gallo will look.

2020: EV 91.2 HardHit 44% Barrel 14% HR/FB 17% LA 26.8 Pull 49% Cent 28% Oppo 23%
2021: EV 91.5 HardHit 46% Barrel 19% HR/FB 27% LA 22.7 Pull 45% Cent 33% Oppo 22%

Pretty much what's there now with one big difference.

2021 HardHit 46%

I don't think anyone besides me is losing sleep over this, but if this issue doesn't put you to sleep, read the discussion under Vlad Guerrero to see why the 2021 HardHit% should be much, much higher for Gallo.

To put it simply, he hit more balls 95+ mph last year, not fewer, than the year before.

He had as much trouble hitting the ball, but that's another story.

All right, let's talk about that.

Think how low his batting average would be if he hadn't laid down the occasional bunt.

Top 10 bunt hits in 2021

Player                         BUH               BUH%

Joey Gallo                       7                  .700

Garret Hampson             7                  .333

Cesar Hernandez            6                  .750

Nicky Lopez                     6                  .273

Dalton Varsho                  6                  .667

Cedric Mullins                  5                  .500

Odubel Herrera                5                  .556

Ben Gamel                       5                  .625

Brandon Belt                    5                  .714

Alcides Escobar               5                  .625

average                                                .574        

For all these players -- why occasional?

I'd love to show the next batch -- the eight hitters who had four bunt hits last year -- but cutting and pasting from Excel doesn't work here and I don't want to spend the rest of the afternoon (isn't there a football game I'm supposed to be watching?) typing them in. Suffice it to say, their names are Polanco (Jorge), Ohtani, Harper, Wong, Naquin, Robles, Odor and Lagares, and their combined bunt batting average, on average, is .509.

A few of them go up with a reasonable expectation of hitting a home run when they swing the bat. Most do not.

If I were Joey Gallo I'd at least bunt often enough to get my batting average over .200. He seems to be quite a good bunter.

I just looked at the bids for last year (in the archive). Peter and Mike aren't nearly as disappointed.

His OPS+ was 93 with the Yankees.

139 with the the Rangers, the second best in what now has to be called a disappointing career.

His D has always been outstanding. Somewhere I'm sure there's a stat showing the percentage of base runners who try to go first to third on the right fielder. I'll wager no one has a lower percentage than Joey.

2020: EV 91.2 HardHit 44% Barrel 14% HR/FB 17% LA 26.8 Pull 49% Cent 28% Oppo 23%
2021: EV 91.5 HardHit 46% Barrel 19% HR/FB 27% LA 22.7 Pull 45% Cent 33% Oppo 22%