TAMPA — Aaron Boone had kept an eye on Isiah Kiner-Falefa from afar and was high on him even before the Yankees traded for the shortstop this month.
But in the two-plus weeks he has gotten to see him up close, Boone’s observations have largely been confirmed, in addition to making some new impressions.
“There’s some intensity to his game,” Boone said this week. “He wants to be really good at this game and wants to be a big part of this team. He has embraced all those expectations.”
Kiner-Falefa arrived from the Twins (who traded him to the Yankees a day after landing him from the Rangers) known for his defense. He was a Gold Glove third baseman in 2020, then got to play his first full season at shortstop in 2021 and ranked third among all MLB shortstops with 10 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.
Watching Kiner-Falefa during spring training, Boone has taken note of his athleticism and ability to move quickly while low to the ground, comparing it to a pair of multiple-time Gold Glovers in Pokey Reese (whom Boone played with on the Reds) and Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford.
The Yankees need all the help they can get defensively at the position. Last season, their shortstops (led by Gleyber Torres) combined for minus-15 defensive runs saved, tied for the fourth-worst mark in the majors.
While Kiner-Falefa said he liked to watch Ozzie Smith and Derek Jeter play shortstop, he also believes he has a similar offensive approach to Jeter in his ability to go the other way and spray ground balls through holes on the right side with his bat-to-ball skills.
Still, Kiner-Falefa says there is another level to his game offensively after batting .265 with a .670 OPS through his first four seasons in the big leagues. During the offseason, he tried to unlock that potential by working with Justin Turner and his hitting coach Doug Latta, focusing on getting the ball in the air more and bringing back his leg kick.
“Being able to work with Justin with Doug and work together, I got to see how similar we are in our movements and that there’s another level to reach that’s in there,” Kiner-Falefa said. “Seeing [Turner’s] turnaround in his career gives me a lot of confidence.
“As I get more settled with my timing and my leg kick, I’m going to start juicing some balls. But until then, just get the barrel on the ball however I can.”
TAMPA — Aaron Boone had kept an eye on Isiah Kiner-Falefa from afar and was high on him even before the Yankees traded for the shortstop this month. But in the two-plus weeks he has gotten to see him up close, Boone’s observations have largely been confirmed, in addition to making some new impressions. “There’s some intensity to his game,” Boone said this week. “He wants to be really good at this game and wants to be a big part of this team. He has embraced all those expectations.” Kiner-Falefa arrived from the Twins (who traded him to the Yankees a day after landing him from the Rangers) known for his defense. He was a Gold Glove third baseman in 2020, then got to play his first full season at shortstop in 2021 and ranked third among all MLB shortstops with 10 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. Watching Kiner-Falefa during spring training, Boone has taken note of his athleticism and ability to move quickly while low to the ground, comparing it to a pair of multiple-time Gold Glovers in Pokey Reese (whom Boone played with on the Reds) and Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. Isiah Kiner-Falefa AP The Yankees need all the help they can get defensively at the position. Last season, their shortstops (led by Gleyber Torres) combined for minus-15 defensive runs saved, tied for the fourth-worst mark in the majors. While Kiner-Falefa said he liked to watch Ozzie Smith and Derek Jeter play shortstop, he also believes he has a similar offensive approach to Jeter in his ability to go the other way and spray ground balls through holes on the right side with his bat-to-ball skills. Still, Kiner-Falefa says there is another level to his game offensively after batting .265 with a .670 OPS through his first four seasons in the big leagues. During the offseason, he tried to unlock that potential by working with Justin Turner and his hitting coach Doug Latta, focusing on getting the ball in the air more and bringing back his leg kick. “Being able to work with Justin with Doug and work together, I got to see how similar we are in our movements and that there’s another level to reach that’s in there,” Kiner-Falefa said. “Seeing [Turner’s] turnaround in his career gives me a lot of confidence. “As I get more settled with my timing and my leg kick, I’m going to start juicing some balls. But until then, just get the barrel on the ball however I can.”