Yankees' Matt Carpenter needs to be everyday player as potent bat continues to flourish

Just when you think the Yankees couldn't have any more feel-good stories on their roster, Matt Carpenter decides to wear pinstripes and hit some bombs out of the Stadium. 

The Bombers lived up to their namesake on Saturday night in the Bronx, whopping the Red Sox 14-1 in a game they definitely needed as they were reeling a bit heading into this All-Star break. Yes, they still own the best record in MLB but they lost six of their last 10 games heading into this one. Not ideal, but hey, that's baseball. 

But this isn't about how good the Yankees are, rather it's about how good a particular Yankee has been in just a small sample size. And it's even more so about a man that looked like his playing days, at least in the big leaguers, were all but finished. 

"It's a testament to him and wanting to squeeze everything out of his career," Aaron Boone said about Carpenter following the Yankees' 63rd win of the year.

The story goes Carpenter lost his swing the past two seasons, not reaching the Mendoza line in 2020 and 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals, the only team he's known since 2011 when he broke into the league. After a stint with the Texas Rangers, he was released but continued to fight. Him and his team sent out notice to clubs explaining that he still wants to play and there's something good there. 

The Yanks were the only ones to respond, and boy are they glad they did. 

A prime example is Saturday night where Carpenter smashed two three-run homers. Yeah...not one. Two. A bases-loaded walk would give him seven RBI. 

And that's already the second time he's done this with the Yanks in just 30 games. 

It's why Carpenter can't just be a fill-in anymore. He needs to be an everyday player. 

Carpenter became the 10th player in Yankees history to have at least two games with seven-plus RBI. He's the first to do it in the same season since Joe DiMaggio in 1940. Crushing two homers with seven RBI in two games in a single season had him in the same company as Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and more as well.

In those 30 games, he has belted 13 homers, drove in 31 RBI and owns an insane 1.406 OPS. It's been just 75 at-bats, but Carpenter is showing everyone that he wasn't kidding in saying he's worked hard to fix his swing and just needs the right opportunity.

"To be here, and to be playing for this team, in this city, for this franchise, I don't take it for granted," he told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal following the game Saturday. "I come to the ballpark every day overwhelmed with joy and gratitude and, man, it's just been a lot of fun."

What's keeping Carpenter out of the lineup is the fact that there's, of course, tons of talent on the roster and not too many spots on the field to choose from. But Joey Gallo's struggles have just been too hard to watch, and with Carpenter starting to get his bearings in right field, he needs to be penciled in there more times than not now because of his offensive production.

While Gallo gives you a more natural fielder at the short porch, Carpenter is doing his job hitting balls over it. Gallo has had more than ample opportunity to show he can do that since he came to the Yanks last season. He's failed to prove his worth.

There's also the MLB trade deadline and growing rumors that the Yankees will be looking to add an outfielder to the mix, preferably one that can play center field so Aaron Judge can move back to his normal role in right. Adding another bat could hurt Carpenter's playing time as well.

But Carpenter is the Yankees' hottest hitter right now. His sweet lefty swing, which is certainly looking back to form, should be a staple in the middle of this order until further notice.

Maybe Boone, and the rest of the Yankees' staff, are starting to make that happen. He'll bat fifth in Sunday's finale before the All-Star break against Chris Sale, who dominates left-handers when he's on.

That's the type of faith the Yanks have in Carpenter right now, and it shouldn't waver heading into the second half either.