Jacoby Ellsbury has turned things around after slumping in May

From Boston to the Bronx, Jacoby Ellsbury is making himself feel right at home in New York. Are there any doubters left out here in Yankees Nation?  Of course there was good reason to have concerns regarding the star center fielder, especially with a recently signed $153 million contract. Ellsbury was among the hottest hitters on the Yankees in April but quickly deteriorated in May.

Between May 5th and May 20th Jacoby struggled getting just 5 hits in 49 at bats. But it all started to turn around for Ellsbury in late May when Kevin Long, the Yankees' hitting coach, noticed something off in the star center fielder’s swing. Fast forwarding to mid-June, we are now starting to see just what Ellsbury is all about.

After a dismal May, Ellsbury came back in dramatic fashion with a 16 game hitting streak -- the longest active streak in the majors. He currently leads the team in batting average, hitting .290, as well as stolen bases with 18, all while having 70 hits in just 62 games.

He brings a different element to this team; he’s a game changer. Jacoby has also been playing well defensively, but gave us a scare last night against the Mariners.

Jacoby was removed from the game with tightness in his right hip  but it seems as if we can let out a huge sigh of relief. Joe Girardi said that pulling Ellsbury was all precautionary and he will be in the lineup tonight when the Yankees open a three-games series with the Oakland Athletics.

There's no doubt in my mind that Jacoby will continue to grow in to a leader on this team while helping fill the void that Robinson Cano has left in New York. All we can do is hope and pray that he remains healthy and in the line up. If we expect to make a legitimate run at the playoffs we need to make sure we can keep his speed and offensive production in the line up and off of the DL.

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