NEW YORK — When Matt Carpenter arrived at the stadium Sunday morning, he began preparing for another day on the bench, his eighth straight game out of the starting lineup.
When Gleyber Torres was dropped, feeling ill before the first pitch, Carpenter’s number was suddenly announced, the veteran’s first chance to play the field in the pinstripes.
Carpenter not only played formidable defense at third base in Sunday’s series finale against the Cubs, but enjoyed his first roll call at Yankee Stadium, the left-hander put in a professional performance at the plate, continuing his historic start in his career with the Yankees.
In an 18-4 victory over Chicago, Carpenter went 3-for-4, reaching base four times, hitting two long home runs to right field and driving in a total of seven runs.
With two more home runs to his name since joining the Yankees, Carpenter has now hit six home runs in his first 10 games with New York. That unprecedented start with his new club makes Carpenter only the second player since 1900 to hit six long balls in his first 10 games with a team.
Trevor Story also accomplished that rare feat during his first 10 games with the Rockies in 2016.
Carpenter’s seven RBIs tied a career high, something the 12-year veteran hasn’t accomplished since July 20, 2018, a game in which he hit three home runs in a Cardinals uniform (also against the Cubs). That day was part of a stretch in which Carpenter hit eight home runs in a span of six games, something Yankees starter Jameson Taillon recalled on Sunday.
“I really don’t have words for that,” Carpenter said after the big win, New York’s 11th win in its last 12 games. “Obviously I feel good at the plate. I’ve got my swing where I want it and I’m just trying to go out there and execute, win a pitch, win pitches, throw one pitch at a time and try to have good at-bats.” And I’ve been able to make a couple of good swings on some balls here lately.”
Carpenter is best known for his extended career in St. Louis, an 11-year stretch in which the bearded slugger earned a reputation as a versatile infielder with plenty of power from the left side. He was a three-time All-Star with the Cardinals, producing a handful of seasons in which he earned votes in the NL MVP race.
Experience and past success aside, there were many moments in the last six months when Carpenter began to wonder if he would ever achieve that level of success in the big leagues again.
After struggling in 2021, the Cardinals decided not to bring the 36-year-old back for a 12th season. Carpenter proceeded to sign a minor league deal with the Rangers, ending up at Triple-A Round Rock after not making the Texas Opening Day roster.
Eventually, the veteran was released by the Rangers, an opportunity to pursue big league opportunities elsewhere. That’s when the Yankees, who had been monitoring Carpenter’s availability for months and needed reinforcements on their MLB roster, swooped in and signed him to a major league contract.
“A lot of the guys in our front office and our analysts were paying a lot of attention to him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He was on our radar from spring training and then probably in the two weeks before we got him, there was still a lot to talk about him. We knew he had an out on his contract and then it coincided.” with [Josh] donaldson and [Giancarlo] Stanton going to the IL. I think we could have done it anyway, but I think it was like, ‘Okay, let’s do this.
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Seems like a pretty good decision in hindsight, huh?
Carpenter is hitting .333/.467/1.125 with 13 RBIs, 10 runs scored, five walks, 326 wRC+ and, of course, those six home runs since his May 26 debut. He has had such a positive presence off the field as he has been at it too, talking about hitting with his new teammates on a regular basis as he brings in another spectacular mustache to the New York clubhouse.
“It’s been a pleasure being here since he’s arrived,” added Boone. “A guy with his track record, a guy with his résumé, a guy who’s had his career who just got here and you can tell every day that he’s excited to be here. He just jumped in with those guys and became a big part of it. From this and the opportunities that he’s had, he’s obviously made the most of them and he’s very excited to be on our team.”
Playtime will continue to be tough for Carpenter to secure his new threads going forward. That’s what happens when you join the best team in baseball with a healthy group of position players. However, having a veteran available who is ready to come off the bench and contribute at a moment’s notice is a luxury for any manager.
Carpenter explained that over the years he has learned to show up at the park every day expecting to play. That way, no matter who’s on the lineup card a few hours before first pitch, he’ll always be in a prime position to succeed and be ready when adversity knocks on his door.
“I put it in the garage for a week and took it out for a spin,” Boone said with a smile. “You’re seeing the fruits of the work that he put in over the winter … from a guy who’s been a really talented player in this league for a while.”
So what’s left in the tank for this 36-year-old?
Needless to say, Carpenter won’t be able to keep up this kind of pace, especially with limited plate appearances. After all, he is currently on pace at 162 games for 97 home runs and 211 RBIs.
Carpenter made it clear, though, that he’s in a great place across the board. He loves New York, the team around him is working flat out and he feels good about his swing, a sign that he’s gotten some of his form back after a few off seasons.
“I feel like I’ve played the game long enough to know what it feels like and what it looks like when I’m right. And this is certainly that,” he said. “I feel good at the plate, I feel like I can have competitive at-bats every time I go in there. It kind of got away from me the last few years, I just didn’t have it. I was able to put in a lot of good work and a lot of people helped me get it back. So which is quite rewarding and to be able to do it in New York City for the best team in baseball and they have the faith to sign me means a lot and I’m enjoying it.”
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