Miguel Andujar joined Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees under the age of 24 to have an extra-base hit in seven straight games when he homered to lead off the bottom of the second in the Yankees 14-1 win over the Twins Monday night.
While no one could have predicted Andujar joining such elite company so quickly, there were a few people at Yankee Stadium who believed he could have a breakout performance when given the chance.
“It’s just what Miggy does,” Aaron Judge said. “I’ve seen it since I played with him in Low-A Charleston [in 2014]. The guy can hit, hit for power, to all fields. He’s fun to watch.’’
Especially lately, going 15-for-29 with eight doubles, a triple and three homers in the seven-game stretch.
Judge isn’t alone in believing Andujar, who added an eighth-inning double Monday, was destined for the big stage long ago.
“The first time I saw Miguel Andujar, he was a 17-year-old kid and it was my first year as a coach in 2012,” said P.J. Pilittere, the Yankees’ first-year assistant hitting coach. “It was in the [Gulf Coast League] and he was this kid full of energy, full of talent and if he developed properly, he’d have a chance to be a special player down the line.’’
Whether Andujar has staying power in the majors is still in doubt, but he’s getting his chance after a strong spring, coupled with Brandon Drury being sidelined with migraines and blurry vision.
The Yankees may have a decision to make when Drury returns.
“I like having the problem,” Aaron Boone said. “I look forward to those options — because a couple of weeks ago we were struggling just to get a team out there on a couple of nights.”
On Monday, he hit in front of Minnesota hitting coach James Rowson, who was the Yankees minor league hitting coordinator while Andujar rose through the system.
Rowson agreed with Boone’s assessment that Andujar’s “swagger,” as Boone calls it, has played a key part in how well he’s played.
“Right from the beginning, he had a high level of confidence in himself,’’ Rowson said. “Even as a youngster, when he went through tough times, things didn’t bother him very much. Guys that have the ability to do that, it helps throughout their career.”
Rowson called Andujar’s swing “electric.”
“He’s got really quick hands,’’ Rowson said. “What he’s doing now is not shocking. You knew he had the tools. At this point, we can see he can play at this level.”
Pilittere saw many of the same things — and something else.
“He genuinely enjoyed going to the park every day,” Pilittere said. “When it’s noon in the GCL, there’s nobody in the seats and it’s 105 degrees with 100 percent humidity and the guy is out there working and not complaining, that’s when you know what you’ve got. People were kind of drawn to him.”
And he’s clearly taken advantage of this latest opportunity.
“There are things you can’t control, but he handles the task at hand,’’ Pilittere said. “There was no doubt in our minds that he could perform the way he’s performed over the last week.”
