BALTIMORE -- In one of their first meetings of the spring, Yankees manager Aaron Boone unveiled what he called a "bumper sticker" for his new team, telling the players that he wanted them to be "obsessed with controlling the strike zone."
Hitting coaches Marcus Thames and P.J. Pilittere worked to drive home that message in each batting cage session, believing that if the Yankees combined plate discipline with slugging potential, their offense could be even more dangerous. As May draws to a close, that mantra has paid dividends.
The Yankees, who lead the Majors in homers (87), home runs per game (1.