Alex Verdugo was blunt about his first — and possibly only — season as a Yankee.
“I know it wasn’t my best personal year on offense,” the pending free agent said before the Yankees’ do-or-die World Series Game 5 in The Bronx against the Dodgers.
When the Yankees season ends, it could also mark Verdugo’s final game in pinstripes. He hopes that’s not the case, though it would seem likely he could be playing elsewhere if the Yankees are able to bring back Juan Soto.
“I think there would be [the possibility] that maybe one day we can come back —if it’s not next year, maybe it’s another year,” the 28-year-old outfielder said. “But I would like to come back and just show the type of player that I really am. I think we’ve seen it defensively, seen it at times offensively, but I’m usually a lot more consistent.”
Verdugo, indeed, posted a regular season slash line of .233/.291/.356 with a .647 OPS in 149 games. The only time in his career he has been worse offensively was his rookie year with the Dodgers way back in 2017, and that was across only 15 games.
After being traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees in the offseason, Verdugo started incredibly well. He produced an .867 OPS in April, but his numbers trailed off from there.
He lost playing time in September as the Yankees gave top outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez a look in left field. Ultimately, they went with Verdugo in the playoffs because of his defense, and while he entered Wednesday batting only .200, he had driven in seven runs with some key at-bats in big spots — four coming in the last two games.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Yankees in the postseason:
“He had a stretch where he struggled a little bit, but he can hit,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like he’s had a lot of big at-bats for us here in the postseason and continued the outstanding defense.”
No matter what happens, Verdugo will fondly remember this year in The Bronx. He reached the World Series for the first time and felt a closeness to several of his teammates. Personally, it obviously could’ve gone better, but overall it was everything he could have wanted.
“Honestly, it’s been awesome. Man, it’s been really cool,” Verdugo said. “We kind of grinded through some things. But as far as teammates and being with the guys, it’s been my favorite team I’ve ever played for. I really did enjoy it.”
