NEW YORK -- When the Yankees take on the Twins in Tuesday night's AL Wild Card Game, they will have a former Twins player in center field. Aaron Hicks, not the high-priced Jacoby Ellsbury, will man center field for New York in the winner-take-all game. Ellsbury is in the lineup at DH.

The Yankees acquired Hicks from the Twins two years ago in a relatively minor trade, though the former first round pick broke out this season, hitting .266/.372/.475 with a career high 15 home runs. Ellsbury had a solid season as well, authoring a .264/.348/.402 batting line with 22 steals, which is why he's also in the lineup.

"I think this team is much more athletic than the teams in the past that we've had the last three or four years, and you're hoping that athleticism helps in a game like this," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi before the game. "I mean, that's part of the reason we made the lineup the way we did, because we feel that we have -- we're a faster team, defensively we're going to cover more ground, and those sort of things."

The decision to play Hicks over Ellsbury is indeed based on defense, which might seem weird considering Ellsbury has a reputation for being a strong defensive center fielder. The numbers agree with the move, however:

  • Hicks in 2017: +12 Defensive Runs Saved in center
  • Ellsbury in 2017: -3 Defense Runs Saved in center

There's more to this decision than simple runs saved numbers. The single biggest difference between Hicks and Ellsbury defensively is their arms. Ellsbury has one of the worst outfield arms in baseball. Hicks has one of the best. His arm is so strong that last season he set a Statcast record with a 105.5 mph throw from left field.

The Twins, as a team, are extremely aggressive on the bases. They took the extra base -- that's going first-to-third on a single, first-to-home on a double, etc. -- 42 percent of the time this past season, the seventh highest rate in baseball. Byron Buxton led all MLB regulars by taking the extra base 71 percent of the time in 2017. Eddie Rosario (58 percent) and Eduardo Escobar (50 percent) also had high extra base taken rates and are in the Wild Card Game lineup.

Had the Yankees put Ellsbury in center field for the Wild Card Game, the Twins would've celebrated. They'd be looking to take that extra base on every ball hit to center field because his arm is a non-factor, and in a game of this magnitude, those extra 90 feet could be the difference between going home and going to the ALDS. Their baserunning is a big part of their offensive identity.

Keep in mind Hicks does not need to actually throw a runner out on the bases to make a difference with his arm. All he has to do is prevent a runner from taking that extra base. The Twins will have to think twice every time they make that big turn around second or third base. To wit:

  • Hicks: 45.9 percent hold rate in center
  • Ellsbury: 36.4 percent hold rate in center

The MLB average for center fielders is a 44.9 percent hold rate, which means 44.9 percent of the time a ball is hit to center field, the runner does not take the extra base. For Ellsbury, he prevents that extra base only 36.4 percent of the time. The difference between Hicks and Ellsbury is massive, and it's certainly not a one-year blip. 

"(Our) thought was runs are sometimes very tough to come by in playoff games, and we thought we'd put our fastest and most athletic team and see if we can do some things," added Girardi. "And then from a defensive standpoint, they're aggressive, and they like to take the extra base, and you get a bigger arm in center field and that might prohibit them from doing some of that."

Ellsbury did not lose his lineup spot to Hicks in the Wild Card Game. Only his position. Both guys are in the lineup and it'll be Hicks and his elite arm in center field rather than Ellsbury, which, if nothing else, gives the Yankees a better chance of controlling Minnesota's running game. It's a relatively minor move that doesn't change the lineup, but could pay big dividends on the field.