Yankees Have NEW Superstar Target EMERGING (Yankees News 2026)

According to reports, according to Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are expected to be in on Taruki Saito. Let me know what you guys think down in the comments about this. Would you guys want Saito in the Yankees? Now, last year, let's go back to 2025. Taruki hit .277, .924 OPS, so very good. 40 homers, 102 runs batted in, 34 doubles, 34 doubles, 4 triples, extra base hit machine. How did his 2026 go? Was 2025 just a flash in the pan for him? 2026, he hit 306, 39 homers, 106 runs batted in, 40 doubles, three triples, 991 OPS. 2025 was not a flash in the pan for Saito. Not at all. Left-handed bat. When he swings at the ball in the zone, he crushes it. I know that's such a silly stat, but when he sees a pitch he likes, we've seen over the years the Yankees just swing and a miss at balls in the zone. Swing and a miss. Saito, he sees something he likes, he swings the bat, crushes it. That's why he's found so much success these last two seasons over there in Japan. Still a high strikeout guy. I would like him to walk a little more. But let's compare him to Munataka Murakami. Murakami, over in Japan, was a solid, solid, solid baseball player. Good baseball player. Right? 2022 had a monster season. Hit 56 homers at 318. 1168 OPS. But that was a while ago. 2023, a down year compared to 2022. 24, a similar year to 2023. 25, only played in 69 games, but at 24 homers, a 1051 OPS Murakami. And last year for the White Sox, what did he do? In 127 games, hit 35 home runs, 825 OPS. Imagine getting, I know things slowed down for him, but he produced. Imagine getting that kind of production in the lineup from Taruki Saito. I'm going to call it better. People in baseball believe that Saito. Is a better all-around hitter than Murakami. So that .207 average, let's bump that up to .240, .250 for Saito. Let's match the homers. I think Saito, .850 OPS. Would you take that right now in the Yankee lineup? Of course you would, especially what you had with McMahon. McMahon last year offensively was dreadful. 11 homers, 41 runs batted in, .213, .636 OPS. Oh, he's got a good glove. Oh, does he? I mean, he was, he wasn't very good last year at third base. He regressed. He regressed. So don't give me, oh, he's a superior third baseman to Saito. Still might be true, but it's not that much of a difference. The gap isn't that big. Not like it was. No disrespect to McMahon. He did not produce for you last year. Offensively, he didn't. And defensively, he regressed. Not a good combination. He was a below average defender in 2026. So if that's what you're getting in Saito, you already had that in McMahon. And he had a 636 to boot, OPS to boot. Saito, I'm all for the Yankees going and getting. All for that. Now, what I'm hearing, he has to sign before the lockout begins. If not, he gets returned to Japan. The posting period starts now. And the Yankees can't do any, nobody in baseball can do anything. Once in the lockout starts. So he's got a sign now. Will the Yankees do that? Now, last lockout, what happened? The Yankees were non-existent before the last lockout. They were non-existent. So if they repeat that, which they, I hope they don't. If they repeat that, that same thing, I mean, then the likelihood of Saito becoming a Yankee is that much lower. Now, how much is he going to cost? According to Keith Law. The feeling around baseball is that Saito will get a four or five year deal with an AAV of $25 million, where it gets a little pricey for a guy over in Japan, incredibly productive, really good offensively, has a really strong arm. If I'm the Yankees, I won't let $25 million AAV scare you away, but knowing the Yankees like I do, do I think the Yankees would spend that kind of money on Saito? They do have a lot of money coming off. Grisham, Jazz, you're going to have to spend on Bednar. They better bring him back. Bullpen. Back end of that bullpen right now is non-existent. They have nothing right now. They have to go and re-sign David Bednar. They have to. But Saito, I'm all for the Yankees signing him, but will they? Is that something that the Yankees are going to dabble in? I hope they shock us. I hope they go and sign him. Or at least, at least talk to him and try to get him. I think he's a good fit in this lineup. Does he strike out a lot? Sure he does. But when you could produce that kind of power that he could produce. And listen, not all of it translates over. I understand that. I know that. But what if his batting average did? To a point. He hit .306 last year. What if he hit .280 for the Yankees? That's high in this day and age. Well, what if he hit .280? He would sign up for that every day of the week, twice on Sunday. He's got a better chance at doing that than Ryan McMahon. He has such a better chance at doing that than McMahon. I hope this isn't just, you know, oh yeah, the Yankees might want him. The Yankees better be in on him. They better be in on him. You need more offense. You need more. And this guy could provide you that. Look at what Murakami did. Akimoto did this past season, jumping from Japan to the majors. I could see that similar jump. And what Saito gives you, he gets you more extra base hits than Murakami, which would lead to a better slug. And he did that two years in a row. 579 slug in 2025, 609 slug in 2026. I hope the Yankees go out and try to sign him. I really do. And according to Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are expected to be in on Taruki Saito. Now's price, that could scare the Yankees off, but you spent 20-something million on Grisham last year. And yes, he had a breakout season. I get it, in 2025. I get it. Take that money, spend it on Saito. I know it's easier for me to say, I get it. Saito, I think, is worth taking a chance on if you get that opportunity. Maybe he goes and plays for the Angels. I don't freaking know. No, I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know. I Maybe he goes and plays for the Angels. don't Maybe the, I mean, I won't even say their name. Not sponsored. I won't even say their name. know. But I think Saito is a good ball player and his skills will translate over here to the major leagues. But guys, listen, let me know what you think down in the comments. Thank you guys so, so much for watching. More content on the way. I appreciate everything. Thank you so much. I'll see you next time. Take care.