When the Yankees acquired Gio Urshela on August 4th, 2018, there weren't many headlines about the move. It was looked at as just a depth move, an addition to get another infielder to the minor league roster. Nobody could have predicted the kind of impact Urshela would have on the team the following season.
Urshela made his debut in 2015 for the Cleveland Indians where he played in just 81 games. Mainly known for his glove, he only hit .225 on the season with 6 home runs and 27 RBI's. He was part of the Indians 2017 playoff roster, playing in all 5 games of the ALDS against the Yankees, only recording 2 hits in 12 at-bats. The Indians would trade Urshela to the Blue Jays on May 9th, 2018, and just about 3 months later, he was dealt to the Yankees.
The Yankees did not have Urshela as part of their plans when the 2019 season began. When 2018 rookie of the year candidate Miguel Andujar went down with an early season injury, Gio got the call. On April 6th, Urshela made his Yankee debut against the Orioles, and quickly claimed the third base position as his own.
Overall, Urshela slashed .314/.355/.534 with a .889 OPS. He hit 21 home runs and 74 RBI's in 2019 while playing in 132 games. It wasn't only the offense that won Yankees fans over, as Gio wowed at the 'hot corner' all season making tough plays look routine. He finished with a 3.9 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) statistic in 2019.
Going into 2020, the main question about Urshela was "is he a fluke?" Would he be able to replicate that performance in 2020? Well, in his 17 games played, Gio is slashing .273/.369/.509 with a .878 OPS. He has 3 home runs and 13 RBI's while still playing gold glove caliber defense at third base.
Even with Miguel Andujar healthy, Urshela has a stronghold on the third base position. Over the last 2 seasons Urshela has been one of the most consistent players on the team, both offensively and defensively. He will be under team control until after the 2023 season.
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