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September in the Bronx – part 1- the Batters

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Well, here we are in October, the R/Sox crashed out of the playoffs in three straight games and I still haven’t published my summary of September for the Yankees.
As I anticipated the two L.A. teams are going to be the ones that the Yankees need to worry about – what ammunition do they have to overcome them, once they have dispensed with the Twins?

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – September
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Cervelli, Francisco 14 14 3 7 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .571 .500
Cano, Robinson 28 100 15 35 13 9 0 4 7 15 0 2 1 .350 .560 .391
Teixeira, Mark 26 102 21 35 20 8 3 7 8 23 0 2 0 .343 .686 .395
Jeter, Derek 26 100 13 34 6 2 0 1 19 22 2 0 7 .340 .390 .450
Posada, Jorge 18 59 11 20 18 3 0 5 10 17 0 0 0 .339 .644 .435
Rodriguez, Alex 25 89 14 30 23 5 0 5 10 19 0 2 5 .337 .562 .396
Miranda, Juan 5 6 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333
Matsui, Hideki 24 80 13 26 18 0 0 5 14 13 0 0 0 .325 .513 .426
Pena, Ramiro 13 17 3 5 2 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 .294 .529 .294
Cabrera, Melky 28 87 10 25 18 5 0 2 7 8 0 0 2 .287 .414 .361
Swisher, Nick 24 88 19 23 12 7 0 7 15 19 0 0 0 .261 .580 .369
Gardner, Brett 20 41 9 10 3 2 0 0 2 8 1 0 4 .244 .293 .295
Damon, Johnny 22 81 13 19 5 4 0 0 14 16 1 0 2 .235 .284 .347
Duncan, Shelley 8 13 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 .231 .231 .231
Hinske, Eric 15 28 4 6 4 0 0 2 4 7 0 1 1 .214 .429 .303
Molina, Jose 15 35 1 6 2 0 0 0 5 6 0 0 0 .171 .171 .275
Hairston Jr., Jerry 18 28 4 4 1 2 0 0 4 3 1 0 0 .143 .214 .250
Guzman, Freddy 7 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 .000 .000 .000
970 154 290 151 49 3 39 119 186 5 8 25 .299 .476 .377

Positives

Robinson Cano. As I mentioned in the reports of the individual games, Cano has made tremendous progress this season. No longer the guy who was lazy in the field last season or the guy with the lacklustre batting average. He led the team in September in hits and doubles and defensively having him and Teixeira in the field means that we compare with anyone on that side of the park.

Mark Teixeira. Speaking of Teixeira, another great month for him. It’s interesting that the press still like to talk about his standard of offensive performance in April, attributing it to the lack of A-Rod’s threat behind him in the lineup which is nonsensical. Better to concentrate on the fact that since then he has been so consistent and always put up great stats and been a leader in clutch situations. In September, he led the team in at bats, runs, RBIs, triples, home runs and slugging. I think he’s done enough to gain credit in his own right.

Derek Jeter. In September, Jeter had another .340 month and led the team in walks. He has not had a down period all year. He is also much improved in the field – although I don’t think he deserved a large part of the negative criticism he took last year.

Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez continues to get into his stride and this has, so far, continued into the post-season. It has been a slow progression for him but he’s finally got there.

Negatives

Jerry Hairston, jr. Hairston has, by contrast, been cooling down each week since since he arrived in the Bronx. On one hand, this makes it very easy to decide who to choose to start at third base but leaves us going into the post-season without having anyone on the bench that we would particularly want to call on to fill that spot in an emergency. Ramiro Pena has been a consistent and capable utility guy for the other infield spots but first, Ransom and now Hairston and Hinske have offered very little offensively and played only adequately in the third base corner.

Jose Molina. If I was to choose a Yankee catcher on the basis of power and experience, I would go with Posada. If my choice was guided by defensive ability and the need to grow through more playing time then Cervelli is my guy. Molina’s .171 with no power in September means that Molina might count himself lucky to be on the post-season roster. If it wasn’t for the questions about the Burnett-Posada tandem then I would have left him off and given Cervelli the extra time.

Eric Hinske. See the comments on Hairston. Hinske brings the potential for a little more sporadic power but not much else.

Shelley Duncan. Duncan’s great season at Scranton gave him one more chance in the majors for the Yankees ………. and he didn’t even begin to take it. 13 at bats, 3 hits is not too bad but you’re looking for this guy to hit for power and he just hasn’t done it in this limited role. The Yankees can either choose to give him the option to become a career minor leaguer or release him to try his fortune elsewhere.

Surprises

Johnny Damon. Damon needs to finish hot if he is to persuade the Yankees to let him return in 2010. He is a sub-par left-fielder and really needs to keep up his average if he is to be back in that role next year. A mere .235 with no home runs was not the way he wanted to go in September. He needs a big post-season.

Freddy Guzman. Guzman was a surprise addition to the roster in late August and immediately, Girardi was talking about him having a role in the playoffs. He didn’t make the first round of the playoffs and a series against the Angels would seem to offer him the best chance of a call up. But to be honest is baserunning in late September was predictable and too often he found himself in problems.

Brett Gardner. Gardner didn’t really deliver in September. He is significantly behind Cabrera for the centrefield starting role and his baserunning hasn’t been as aggressive and Jeter and Guzman have looked the main threats in that category. Given that he went into the season as the favoured man for CF and that Girardi said he had no plans to platoon, this must be regarded as a severe setback for him.

Francisco Cervelli. Cervelli has proved himself again and again this season. He is a capable guy with the tools of ignorance but it is ability to hit for average at the major league level that is the big surprise and which is the big lift for him and which is beginning to look like it is no fluke. Mostly as a late innings replacement in September, not an easy role, he has managed six singles and a double in fourteen at-bats which for me means that he should see a big increase in opportunities next year and that he should move up the pecking order for the catching role, even if that means saying goodbye to Molina who has served us well over the last few years.

August in the Bronx – #1 – the Batters

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So, August has come and gone and within its spread, the Yankees rose to the head of the pack in Major League Baseball and looked confidently towards the post-season. September will involve the expansion of rosters and will provide me with plenty of time to absorb the sights and sounds of the new Yankee Stadium as I make my first visit to New York this year. Let’s see who came up with goods in the heat of Summer and who came up sadly lacking. Batters first:

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – August
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Jeter, Derek 28 122 27 46 17 6 0 6 5 14 1 1 4 .377 .574 .403
Pena, Ramiro 7 8 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .375 .375 .375
Cano, Robinson 28 118 19 41 16 13 0 5 2 13 0 0 0 .347 .585 .358
Damon, Johnny 24 98 21 32 16 8 0 7 7 14 0 0 2 .327 .622 .371
Rodriguez, Alex 25 92 19 29 12 3 1 4 18 23 0 0 1 .315 .500 .442
Teixeira, Mark 28 109 17 32 26 7 0 6 17 19 0 1 1 .294 .523 .391
Hairston Jr., Jerry 24 41 10 12 10 3 0 2 6 5 1 1 0 .293 .512 .388
Matsui, Hideki 24 89 16 25 25 2 1 8 6 11 0 0 0 .281 .596 .333
Posada, Jorge 20 75 9 21 16 7 0 4 8 24 0 1 0 .280 .533 .345
Swisher, Nick 25 94 14 26 16 6 0 5 17 24 1 1 0 .277 .500 .384
Cabrera, Melky 27 103 13 23 13 5 1 2 5 12 1 1 3 .223 .350 .264
Molina, Jose 14 40 5 8 3 0 0 0 5 9 0 1 0 .200 .200 .283
Hinske, Eric 14 29 3 5 2 3 0 0 4 10 0 1 0 .172 .276 .265
Ransom, Cody 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1022 175 303 172 63 3 49 100 181 4 8 11 .296 .508 .361

Positives

Derek Jeter. First in the line-up and first on my list. The captain has had a simply outstanding season and he has even managed to improve as the year has gone along. He added 12 extra base hits to his .377 BA on the month, his defense is better and as always he has the perfect demeanour to give the team the lead and example they need.

Robinson Cano. Cano has had some problems in the field but there is no taking away from his offensive production. He’s had his best ever year for power production and has continued to hit for average and he is a great singles hitter. Unfortunately, his patience at the plate has suffered, resulting in too few walks, as his ability to gain singles has increased but all-in-all, it’s still been a good year for him.

Johnny Damon. Damon had his best month of the year and gave the Yankees something to think about when they think about leftfield for 2010. No question that they could improve defensively but in extra base hits he is second only to Cano, on the month.

Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez also achieved his best month of the year – which to be fair wasn’t difficult but still bodes well after his early season surgery. 2009 will still be a year he wants to forget for all kinds of reasons but that .442 OBP is a bright indicator of good things to come.

Negatives

Cody Ransom. At the beginning of the year, Ransom, who has seen some limited time in the majors before, seemed to have his best chance of making the grade. From April to July, he messed up every opportunity he was given and in August, his inability to hit a single finally saw him demoted to Triple-A and more significantly removed from the 40 man roster. He struck out three times in the four at-bats he was given in the early days of the month which really shows his problems.

Eric Hinske. Of the pairing of Hinske and Hairston who were brought in when Gardner headed to the DL, Hinske has been the poorer. He achieved a meagre 5 hits in August – 2 singles and 3 doubles. If it wasn’t September (which brings with it extra spaces on the roster) it would be difficult to justify keeping him around.

Jose Molina. Molina vs Cervelli – Posada’s days of playing 7 out of 7 were always going to be limited but they’re now behind him. This means that the backup catcher is going to get significant playing time. Youth vs experience. The Yankees went with experience and in some ways that has paid off but it is Molina’s lack of production in the hits column which suggest that youth might have been the better choice.

Melky Cabrera. Since the night, he hit for the cycle, Cabrera’s batting production has slumped to the kind of problems he had in 2008. It has been a rollercoaster year for him but he needs to turn it around one more time before the post-season.

Surprises

Hideki Matsui. Matsui who looked like he was on his last legs (pun intended) just a few weeks ago, had some fluid drained and had a flush of power as the month came to its conclusion. He led the team in home runs for August including a couple of nights when he encouraged the ball to leave the stadium on more than one occasion.

Jerry Hairston Jr. Aside from the error he made during Pettitte’s most recent outing – when Andy looked like he might have a stab at a perfect game – this has been a very good move for Mr Hairston. .293 BA and .512 slugging percentage are both significant markups on his numbers prior to joining the Yankees.

Ramiro Pena. Ramiro’s name is very near the top of the above list which is sorted by batting average. He’s proven himself to be more than capable in the infield (the team’s hope that he would also develop skills in the outfield doesn’t seem to have really worked out). Somehow, when a roster move requires someone to make the dusty bus trip back to Scranton, his name comes to the top of that list as well, too often.

Nick Swisher. Swisher has proved that he can be a good clubhouse presence and a threat to produce home runs. His ability to produce a good batting average has not been so consistent. This month he bucked the trend and hit .277 which is still below the team average for the month but a marked improvement.

July in the Bronx – Part 2 – The pitchers

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Today, I turn my attention to the pitchers who have graced the New York Yankees in July. Again, my apologies that this is so late.

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – July
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Rivera, Mariano 12 0 11 11.2 3 0 0 2 9 0 0 10 0.00 .081
Hughes, Phil 11 0 2 14.2 10 1 1 3 16 1 1 1 0.61 .192
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 33.1 27 10 9 16 21 4 0 0 2.43 .220
Chamberlain, Joba 5 5 0 29.2 26 15 9 10 24 3 0 0 2.73 .232
Melancon, Mark 3 0 2 6.0 5 3 2 0 4 0 1 0 3.00 .217
Albaladejo, Jonathan 4 0 1 4.2 5 2 2 2 5 2 0 0 3.86 .278
Tomko, Brett 3 0 2 4.1 4 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 4.15 .250
Sabathia, CC 6 6 0 39.0 45 21 20 12 31 3 3 0 4.62 .300
Pettitte, Andy 6 6 0 37.1 34 21 20 11 32 1 3 0 4.82 .241
Coke, Phil 12 0 2 9.2 9 6 6 2 8 1 0 0 5.59 .250
Robertson, David 9 0 3 11.0 10 8 7 7 13 0 1 1 5.73 .233
Aceves, Alfredo 9 1 2 15.0 14 13 11 4 10 1 0 1 6.60 .237
Wang, Chien-Ming 1 1 0 5.1 6 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 6.75 .300
Mitre, Sergio 3 3 0 13.2 24 13 12 3 6 1 0 0 7.90 .400
Bruney, Brian 7 0 2 5.1 11 7 7 3 7 0 0 0 11.81 .423
96 27 27 240.2 233 126 112 77 188 18 9 13 4.19 .254

Positives

Mariano Rivera. Every year, the baseball experts decide that Mariano’s career is finally fading. Every year, he bounces back. In the second half of June and the whole of July, he didn’t give up any runs. In July, his OBA was an amazing .081. He added another 10 saves to his total during the month.

A.J. Burnett. Of the 5 starters, during July, Burnett gave most innings per appearance and produced the best ERA. His walk total was a little on the high side but he produced 4 wins and 1 no decision. No losses.

Joba Chamberlain. The debate over Chamberlain as starter or Joba as reliever is pretty much over. Even Jorge Posada says he misjudged the situation. His figures for the month were good and solid. He may never over-power as a starter as he first did when he appeared as a reliever and there’s no question that his larger-than-life persona does even irritate this Yankees fan when I have to watch it for six innings but there is no question that he is very valuable to the Yankees in this role.

C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia has been inconsistent. But he has been good enough. When he is in the zone, he looks like our best starter. When he is not, he usually gives us the innings.

Negatives

Brian Bruney. General Manager, Cashman has basically said that Bruney lied to the coaching staff when he said he was ready to pitch so off-the-field and on-the-field, it has been a bad time for Bruney. In April, he was one of the teams best relievers but April seems a long time ago. He had the worst ERA and worst OBA on the team during July.

Sergio Mitre. The Yankees are really scratching around to find a fifth starter and Mitre is their latest great idea. He looked below par at triple-A Scranton and promoting him to the Majors didn’t seem likely to make him look better. It hasn’t.

Chien-Ming Wang. Wang is gone for the season but it is hard to believe he was ever really here. His one start in July was not memorable.

Andy Pettitte. Pettitte is giving up too many hits, too many home runs (particularly at the new Stadium). In July, he produced only 1 win and 3 losses, 2 non-decisions.

Surprises

Phil Hughes. Hughes has been a revelation in relief. He has been so good that even though the team desperately needs a fifth starter, they have chosen not to return him to his previous role. For most of the month he matched Rivera performance-for-performance as the two did not give up a run. The one run he did give up (towards the end of the month) gave him his only loss in July.

Mark Melancon. Melancon finds himself back in the minors in August but it is hard to see why. He gave the team 6 innings over 3 appearances in July and was solid most every time.

Jonathan Albaladejo. Like Melancon, Albaladejo looks likely to spend the forseeable future shuttling between Scranton and New York. In limited useage, he managed to maintain runless performances for much of the month. It is hard to see what he has to do to earn a regular spot on the roster.

Alfredo Aceves. Aceves does well most of the time but most of July doesn’t fit into that category. Despite a respectable OBA, his ERA for the month was closer to 7 than 6.

July in the Bronx – Part 1 – Batters

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New York Yankees – Batting – Month – July
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Jeter, Derek 27 112 19 40 11 4 1 2 15 16 0 0 1 .357 .464 .438
Hinske, Eric 7 21 5 7 8 0 0 5 1 6 0 0 0 .333 1.048 .417
Cano, Robinson 27 103 20 34 14 8 1 4 6 9 0 0 0 .330 .544 .373
Teixeira, Mark 27 112 14 33 15 6 0 6 10 23 0 0 0 .295 .509 .358
Matsui, Hideki 24 75 10 22 19 5 0 5 15 13 0 1 0 .293 .560 .407
Cabrera, Melky 27 76 10 22 5 6 0 2 10 5 0 0 0 .289 .447 .372
Rodriguez, Alex 25 97 19 28 18 3 0 7 12 25 0 1 5 .289 .536 .369
Posada, Jorge 24 82 13 23 15 7 0 3 6 22 0 1 0 .280 .476 .333
Cervelli, Francisco 3 11 1 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .273 .364 .250
Swisher, Nick 24 73 8 18 15 4 0 3 12 20 0 2 0 .247 .425 .352
Damon, Johnny 24 85 16 20 12 3 0 3 17 16 0 0 0 .235 .376 .369
Gardner, Brett 18 41 4 9 7 0 2 0 4 9 0 0 3 .220 .317 .304
Ransom, Cody 12 20 5 4 2 3 0 0 4 7 0 0 1 .200 .350 .333
Molina, Jose 5 11 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .182 .273 .250
919 146 265 143 51 4 40 112 174 0 6 10 .288 .483 .370

 

So July seems a long time ago now but here are the Yankee batters who made their mark for good or bad during that month.

Positives

Derek Jeter. Jeter has simply been the most consistent offensive player on the Yankees this season – and in a time when there is such turmoil in the sport, he is a gentleman and a role model. .357 on the month. And improved in the field.

Robinson Cano. Cano has recovered from last seasons set backs and has shown himself to be a solid consistent player. That word “consistent” explains why the Yankees have risen to the top this season.

Mark Teixeira. The term “MVP” is already been used about Teixeira but I don’t think he’s quite there unless he has an outstanding last two months. What he has achieved is a solid performance after a slow beginning in April.

Melky Cabrera. When Gardner went on the DL, there was a general air of expectancy that Cabrera’s comeback season would begin to buckle. It hasn’t happened in July (though August is proving a very quiet time so far).

Negatives

Cody Ransom. Ransom just can’t hit singles. You know that when he comes to bat, he is either going to hit a double or better (20% of the time) or he is going to be an easy out (80% of the time). He should have gone to Scranton instead of Pena.

Johnny Damon. Damon looks tired and old in the field. He can just about get away with this when he’s hitting. In July, he wasn’t hitting.

Jose Molina. Molina was fortune to get his spot on the roster back. Cervelli was unlucky. Experience counts for a lot and he always looks solid behind the plate but he needs to raise his average by at least 20 points.

Nick Swisher. Swisher hit .247 in July and that was one of his better months. We’re very glad that we signed Teixeira.

Surprises

Eric Hinske. The fact that Hinske is a Yankee ought to be enough of a surprise. But to see him hit .333 in his first 7 games is another thing again. It won’t last but it’s nice for now.

Hideki Matsui. .293 and 5 home runs in July. Matsui has settled into the role of everyday DH very well. His legs might not last the distance even with a light load but so far, so good.

Jorge Posada. Posada played 24 games in July. He hit .280. After a very difficult 2008, he’s bounced back well. Now if he can add a little more power……..

Alex Rodriguez. July might be the first sign of light at the end of the tunnel for A-Rod. He led the team in home runs and produced his best hitting performances of the season. He’s still not worth the money, the emotional investment and all the circus that goes with him but better this than the way he was earlier in the year.

June in the Bronx – Part 2 – The Pitchers

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Of the 4 New York Yankee ERA leaders for June, 1 is a left-handed specialist, two were not on the roster in April and one will not be in the roster for July. And none of them are starters or Mariano Rivers. Suprising? I’ll say so.

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – June
 
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Coke, Phil 14 0 2 12.2 5 1 1 3 14 0 0 0 0.71 .122
Aceves, Alfredo 9 0 2 13.2 11 2 2 4 10 2 0 0 1.32 .224
Hughes, Phil 8 0 2 13.0 5 2 2 3 16 0 0 0 1.38 .114
Veras, Jose 3 0 2 5.0 4 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1.80 .211
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 30.0 23 10 7 16 35 3 2 0 2.10 .209
Robertson, David 10 0 6 10.0 7 4 3 5 16 1 0 0 2.70 .194
Rivera, Mariano 11 0 10 11.0 7 5 4 2 14 1 1 9 3.27 .175
Sabathia, CC 5 5 0 31.0 23 14 13 7 22 2 1 0 3.77 .205
Chamberlain, Joba 6 6 0 35.2 33 16 15 15 27 2 1 0 3.79 .244
Pettitte, Andy 5 5 0 26.2 34 19 15 13 27 2 2 0 5.06 .306
Bruney, Brian 6 0 0 4.2 4 3 3 5 3 1 0 0 5.79 .250
Tomko, Brett 7 0 2 12.0 10 8 8 4 10 0 1 0 6.00 .222
Wang, Chien-Ming 5 5 0 22.2 28 17 16 10 19 1 3 0 6.35 .298
  94 26 26 228.0 194 102 90 87 215 15 11 9 3.55 .228
 

Positives

Phil Coke. Coke is beginning to look like the pitcher we saw at the end of 2008. And that is good news indeed. Only one walk in every 4+ innings, leading on the month in ERA, seconding on the month in OBA.

Alfredo Aceves. Aceves has had a sensational season in long relief. This month was no exception. With Wang headed for the DL, Aceves is the obvious man to head to become the fifth starter. I think he can do a job as a starter but he needs to know what his role is and not be jerked about.

Phil Hughes. Hughes led the team in OBA for June and he has settled into his role as a reliever just fine and dandy. With a couple of the starters not producing there has been enough work for Aceves and him but hopefully it will not always be this way. Consequently, the Yankees need to make some decisions during the All-Star break about that crucial fifth starter role. What they decide will have a significant impact on the pitching staff for the rest of the year and their chances of making the playoffs.

A.J. Burnett. The starting rotation has lacked some consistency this year and its Burnett’s chance to return to the top of the heap. He’s seldom been bad and when he’s good he’s capable of being very, very good – and so far those nagging worries about injuries have proved unfounded.

Negatives

Chien-Ming Wang. He looks much better than he did a month or two ago but you still feel you’re going into a game hoping that he will reach the fifth innings and that if he gets there, he might have done enough to have kept the team in the game. The goals of a fifth starter have to be higher than that if you’re going to contend. However, he has done sensationally in previous seasons and it is a difficult conundrum. This latest injury just convolutes the problem.

Brett Tomko. "Tomko" ought to be an alternative for journeyman in the thesaurus. Some games he is good and others he is not. And at the moment the "nots" have the majority. The form pattern suggests he should be due for another purple patch but when he goes down for the third time……

Andy Pettitte. Inconsistent starters indeed. Pettitte looks healthy in the wins column, on the season, but he puts too many batters on base and gives up way too many hits. He’s getting more run support than anyone else and at some point that is going to balance out and then he will be in trouble if he hasn’t improved.

Brian Bruney. When he pitches well, he is prone to injury. At the moment, he’s not so hot but he’s staying fit. He’s giving up too many walks which is leading to too many runs but its difficult to identify what has changed.

Surprises

Jose Veras. Veras was having his best month of the season which, of course, led to him being designated for assignment and leaving town in exchange for cash. He was pretty good in 2007 and 2008 and he looked like he was coming around again. They should have shown more patience.

Mariano Rivera. It’s difficult to tell which Mo is going to turn up at the moment. Some nights he is still capable of being lights out but earlier in the month he developed a tendency to blow the big game. Last season, it was the non-save situation he struggled with, this year it has been the game when the spotlight is brightest. This current good run should help settle him down.

David Robertson. Robertson has had a tendency for his ability to strike opponents out to wither the longer he stayed at the major league level. So far this time around, he’s avoiding that problem and he could be about to become a fixture.

June in the Bronx – Part 1 – The Batters

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Any month that includes as much inter-league play as June did, is always going to be a difficult – particularly in estimating how much it impacts the season as a whole. The month included bad streaks for the Yankees as a team and as individuals. Here’s hwo it went for the batters:

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – June
 
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Ransom, Cody 2 5 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .400 .600 .400
Gardner, Brett 24 48 10 16 5 0 2 1 9 4 1 0 8 .333 .479 .439
Pena, Ramiro 11 21 4 7 3 3 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 .333 .476 .364
Jeter, Derek 22 87 17 27 7 3 0 2 12 9 0 0 7 .310 .414 .394
Damon, Johnny 24 85 16 23 15 7 1 4 13 17 0 0 3 .271 .518 .367
Cano, Robinson 25 100 14 27 11 5 0 3 5 10 0 1 2 .270 .410 .308
Teixeira, Mark 25 95 14 25 16 10 0 4 17 12 0 0 1 .263 .495 .391
Swisher, Nick 25 79 12 20 10 8 0 4 16 14 0 0 0 .253 .506 .379
Sabathia, CC 5 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .250 .250 .250
Cervelli, Francisco 7 25 5 6 3 1 0 1 1 5 1 0 0 .240 .400 .269
Posada, Jorge 21 73 11 17 12 1 0 4 11 15 0 1 0 .233 .411 .329
Cabrera, Melky 26 80 11 18 11 6 0 2 11 14 1 2 1 .225 .375 .312
Rodriguez, Alex 25 82 13 17 22 2 0 5 22 17 0 0 2 .207 .415 .387
Matsui, Hideki 24 54 7 11 9 2 0 3 12 9 0 0 0 .204 .407 .348
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .200 .200 .200
Pettitte, Andy 5 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 .200 .400 .200
Berroa, Angel 7 10 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .100 .200 .182
Chamberlain, Joba 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Aceves, Alfredo 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Wang, Chien-Ming 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Rivera, Mariano 11 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .500
Tomko, Brett 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Coke, Phil 14 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
    868 140 220 130 51 3 33 131 141 6 4 25 .253 .433 .354
 

Positives

Brett Gardner. Gardner remains something of a conundrum. When he is giving a regular job in the starting line-up, he flounders. When there are no guarantees, he show himself as a feisty player who can get the hits. Of course, his speed is always an asset. As Cabrera had a quiet month, Gardner flourished. Best on the month in batting average and third of the regulars in slugging.

Derek Jeter. The captain continues to be a solid and consistent presence. His place on the All-Star team is a deserved one and as you see the mess so many players have put themselves in, you have to admire how he handles himself, on the field and off. He’s proving to be the consummate singles hitter, not a lot else but at the top of the line-up that is vital!

Robinson Cano. Cano continues to be a steady presence with the glove and with the bat. .270 on this month which he can improve on a little but his performance is so much more convincing and effective than in 2008.

Mark Teixeira. After a disappointing April and a mind-blowing May, Teixeira had a steady June. He looked great in the field and he continued to have some power (although this certainly wasn’t May in those terms).

Negatives

Angel Berroa. Berroa finally got a hit in June. That’s one more than he got in May. Thankfully, the Yankees have designated him for assignment.

Alex Rodriguez. On the month, .207 with 5 home runs. It seems he hits for power or he doesn’t hit at all. There were, to be fair, one or two exceptions to that rule. Did he come back too soon? Will the promised rest days help? Do the Yankees wish they’d stuck to their guns during the Boras debacle at the end of 2007?

Hideki Matsui. Matsui had a difficult month. Too many interleague games at the National league ground which makes him redundant as they won’t risk him in the field. When he was in the line up, his figures didn’t even match those of A-Rod.  .204 with three home runs on the month.

Melky Cabrera. Melky Cabrera has had a good season so far and whilst his work in the field was good in June, his performance with the bat drifted back to the dark days of 2008. He was second in the team in doubles and he still looks good in the clutch but he’s going through a barren spell.

Surprises

Cody Ransom. Nice to see Cody back in the line-up. There was a time when I wondered if the Yankees placing him on the 60 day disabled list might mean he was done for the season. In his first five at-bats back in the team, he hit .400 and this, if nothing else, will be a substantial improvement on Berroa who he matches in the field also. Only time will tell if he can gain some consistency.

Ramiro Pena. Ramiro Pena is headed to triple-A Scranton in a decison which makes no sense to me. In June, he hit .333. He isn’t the most patient at the plate but he has proved a reliable bat off-the-bench and he is as good and better in the field than anybody else in that category. His July in Scranton is dictated by the arrival of Eric Hinske, who is another one of those journeymen big bats that the Yankees tend to pursue at this time of the year. Surprise and mistake.

Johnny Damon. Damon is holding  up much better than I would have predicted. His slugging leads the team on the month, and he was tied second in home runs on the month. His fielding is never going to be that good again but he has managed to get this far without any serious injury.

Jorge Posada. Now back to full fitness apparently, Posada’s bat is not quite what we’re hoping for. 4 home runs on the month is fine but he isn’t hitting for average.

May in the Bronx – Part 2, the Pitchers

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Well, the Yankees game last night was rained out. As Boston lost, the Yankees were elevated to first place again – making today a good day to reflect on the pitching that got them there and that which didn’t live up to expectations…..

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – May
 
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Bruney, Brian 1 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.00 .000
Robertson, David 7 0 5 5.0 2 2 1 4 6 0 0 0 1.80 .118
Wang, Chien-Ming 3 0 2 8.0 9 2 2 2 7 0 0 0 2.25 .300
Rivera, Mariano 10 0 5 11.0 9 3 3 1 13 0 1 5 2.45 .214
Sabathia, CC 6 6 0 45.2 34 14 13 10 37 4 1 0 2.56 .204
Aceves, Alfredo 9 0 3 19.2 16 6 6 3 18 3 1 0 2.75 .219
Albaladejo, Jonathan 9 0 2 10.0 11 6 4 6 7 1 0 0 3.60 .282
Ramirez, Edwar 8 0 0 9.0 7 4 4 7 8 0 0 0 4.00 .212
Tomko, Brett 5 0 3 4.1 5 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 4.15 .313
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 32.1 30 15 15 18 32 1 2 0 4.18 .248
Chamberlain, Joba 5 5 0 22.1 24 12 12 12 29 1 1 0 4.84 .286
Pettitte, Andy 6 6 0 36.1 46 21 20 17 18 3 0 0 4.95 .309
Coke, Phil 11 0 3 11.0 9 7 7 5 4 0 2 1 5.73 .237
Hughes, Phil 6 6 0 28.2 35 22 21 13 25 2 2 0 6.59 .307
Veras, Jose 13 0 4 9.2 13 9 9 8 6 2 0 0 8.38 .325
Melancon, Mark 2 0 0 0.1 1 2 2 4 0 0 0 0 54.00 .500
  106 28 27 254.1 251 127 121 112 211 17 11 6 4.28 .259
 

Positives

C.C. Sabathia. As CC Sabathia heads into today’s start against Tampa Bay, it is that .204 OBA that shows that it is not only his top-rank wages which makes him stand out amongst the other starters. Sabathia typically makes a slow start to the season and bearing this in mind it seems that he’s ahead of schedule for another examplary season.

Alfredo Aceves. When a Yankees starter goes down early in the game – and it does happen, Hughes and Wang take a bow, then Aceves is the guy that they can depend upon. He has given us two or three solid innings in every relief performance. This is a team that went without a long reliever on their opening day roster. This was obviously a major mistake and not having someone like Aceves to turn to in those early weeks lost us several games.

David Robertson. Robertson is another who didn’t make the opening day roster but who is making a sizeable difference now he is part of the bullpen. He still needs to gain a little in the consistency stakes but when he is good, he will do very nicely.

Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain still isn’t the complete package as a starter but he is ahead of where I expected him to be at this stage and the voices (including mine) asking for him to be returned to the bullpen are dying down. He is ahead of Pettitte and Wang in his recent starts and May was a good month for him.

Negatives

Edwar Ramirez remains part of the 40-man roster so the Yankees aren’t finished with him but his form has been a big disappointment so far this year and he is learning to make his home at Scranton / Wilkes-Barre (AAA). During May, he averaged nearly a walk and a hit in every innings pitched and whilst the Yankees might have been a little premature in demoting him, it looked as though it was always heading that way.

Phil Hughes. The Yankees seem quite pleased with him and said he was unlucky to lose his starting job but the reality is that he is averaging less than five innings per start and that is ERA for the month was 6.59. We have to put this in context. This is one of the two guys who were going to be a mainstay of the rotation in 2008 and really messed up. Now Hughes is the best of the two (even when Kennedy is fit) but he looks like he will make-do as a number five starter. This is no longer a surprise to me but I’m not expecting a noticeable improvement and this isn’t good enough.

Jose Veras. Last year, Veras was a very important part of the bullpen. This year it is probably only his level of experience which is keeping him in New York. His ERA for May exceeded 8 and this is even considering that he occasionally does give us a good performance.

Jonathan Albaladejo. Another early-in-the-season reassignment. Last year, he started the season well and then got injured. This season he started well and then the hitters figured him out. Like Ramirez, I think he perhaps deserved another week at the top level to see if he could gather himself but really he can have no complaints.

Suprises

Chien-Ming Wang. The guys on the team who still have to communicate through an interpreter are in a difficult place when their form falls apart. Given all the psychological pressure the fact that Wang has taken some major steps towards comeback at all is quite an achievement. He has some distance to go and I thought it was too early to restore him to the rotation but this is so far-so good.

Brett Tomko. I was not alone in shaking my head when I heard that Tomko had been promoted to the Bronx, I’m sure. Another journeyman pitcher, who is likeable but struggles to maintain a high enough level of performance in the top flight. So I’m not expecting this to last but he has put in some creditable innings so far and deserves a nod for that alone.

Phil Coke. Coke is the guy we must go to when we need a left-hander out of the bullpen but whilst his performances have been adequate, he has looked a shadow of the pitcher he was in his appearances at the end of last year. He is simply giving up too many runs – too often in tight situations that can cost us a game.

Mark Melancon started his major league assignment well but then he stopped throwing strikes. He was a surprising call-up who took advantage of his chance but ultimately couldn’t maintain it. His ERA at AAA is less than half of what he produced at the major level and he needs some months at that level under his belt before he is giving another chance in the Bronx.

May in the Bronx – Part 1, the Batters

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The New York Yankees had a poor start to May but by the halfway point of the month they had really hit their stride. During the second half of the month they began the move towards setting a new record for games without  a fielding error and began the long haul towards first place in the American League East after occupying third for most of the season to that point. Since May turned to June, an error by Jorge Posada on a throw to second base and a loss to the American League West-leading Texas Rangers has seen the errorless run come to an end and the Boston Red Sox tie the Yankees for first place in the East but May sure was a month in which the Yankees got hot. Who was repsonsible?

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – May
 
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Posada, Jorge 6 18 4 8 7 1 0 3 3 3 0 0 0 .444 1.000 .524
Teixeira, Mark 28 115 25 38 35 9 0 13 10 24 0 1 0 .330 .748 .391
Gardner, Brett 22 52 13 17 4 1 2 2 7 6 2 0 4 .327 .538 .417
Jeter, Derek 26 112 17 36 13 8 0 3 12 15 1 0 6 .321 .473 .397
Cabrera, Melky 24 84 9 27 10 6 0 1 4 11 2 1 2 .321 .429 .348
Damon, Johnny 27 115 25 35 21 10 1 6 9 22 1 0 2 .304 .565 .355
Cervelli, Francisco 15 42 4 12 4 1 0 0 1 6 3 0 0 .286 .310 .302
Cano, Robinson 28 114 17 31 15 8 1 4 4 6 0 0 1 .272 .465 .297
Molina, Jose 5 15 3 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 .267 .400 .313
Rodriguez, Alex 22 77 11 20 17 4 0 7 18 12 0 0 0 .260 .584 .412
Matsui, Hideki 25 87 8 21 10 6 0 5 5 18 0 1 0 .241 .483 .295
Pena, Ramiro 19 39 7 9 2 1 1 0 1 8 0 0 2 .231 .308 .250
Cash, Kevin 10 26 1 6 3 2 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 .231 .308 .250
Swisher, Nick 27 80 9 12 10 1 0 3 19 29 2 3 0 .150 .275 .311
Berroa, Angel 9 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
    980 155 276 152 60 5 47 94 170 11 7 17 .282 .497 .349
 

Positives

Mark Teixeira. In April, Teixeira batted .200 with 3 homers. His average was so outstripped by the hot-hitting Nick Swisher, it began to look like we could have saved an awful lot of money in filling the first-base hole left by the not overly missed Jason Giambi. In May, whilst Swisher cooled right down, Teixeira found his swing and looked like the best first baseman since Tino Martinez. In May, he hit .330 with (count ’em) 13 home runs and a mammoth .748 slugging percentage. This raised him to .279 on the season which shows not only how much he has improved but just how bad that first month in pinstripes was.

Derek Jeter put together a good long hitting streak in May. He didn’t match Ichiro but there was no-one else to match him for second place in hitting safely in consecutive games. His .321 in May is solid form and he deserves his first place ranking in the American League All-Star voting for shortstop. 

Melky Cabrera missed the last few months of the month after slamming into the outfield wall as he attempted a catch but those absent days aside he matched his April performance, hit-for-hit. He has proved an amazingly successful clutch hitter and he has put his 2008 form well behind him.

Johnny Damon. Damon is not great in the field and his throw from the outfield leaves a lot to be desired. However, his hitting in April returned to a level of form that he hasn’t been able to consistently produce since he joined the Yankees.

Negatives

Angel Berroa. Berroa is really just making up the numbers on the roster. Since A-Rod’s return, he has no hope of being an everyday player. In the field, he is adequate. With the bat he is simply horrible. He didn’t manage to get to base safely once in May and it becomes more and more apparent that Pena is a much better option as infield backup.

Kevin Cash. It’s never easy being an ex-Red Sox in pinstripes but Cash really didn’t take best advantage of his opportunity. With Posada and Molina injured and Cervelli having so little Major League experience, Cash should have been the obvious choice to be the team’s first choice catcher during May. Instead, he showed himself to be no more than adequate behind the plate whilst Cervelli excelled beyond expectation. By the time that Cash began to hit, towards the end of the month, the battle was already lost and with Posada fit again, he was the obvious demotee.

Hideki Matsui. Matsui is the everyday DH but he is doing his best to lose that position. He is really not achieving the kind of batting average we expect from him. He strikes out too much and doesn’t gain enough walks. He needs to improve.

Nick Swisher. Last year when I saw Swisher playing for the White Sox, he looked extremely poor. When the Yankees signed him in the close season I couldn’t understand it. I wondered why they hadn’t waited for Teixeira and made an effort to re-sign Abreu. Then when they also signed Teixeira, it made even less sense. However, in April, I became a believer. Swisher was magic and his hitting in the clutch was examplary. And then in May, the guy I saw for the White Sox last year showed up. At this moment, he may be a great clubhouse presence but he is streakiest hitter anywhere and when his head goes down, he really, really struggles.

Surprises

Brett Gardner. The speedy Gardner is another conundrum. Last season whilst the Yankees brass sounded optimistic, the fanbase wondered when he was going to hitting safely often enough to make that speed a real threat on the bases. In April, chosen over Melky Cabrera, he quickly lost the ascendancy with a very ordinary month. But like Teixeira he bounced back to the kind of form he showed in Spring Training during May. The difference is that for Teixeira that is a return to usual form. For Gardner, this month may prove to be a fluke.

Francisco Cervelli. There was a day or two in May when Cervelli led the team in batting average. He was always going to do reasonably well with the "tools of ignorance" but he also showed he can bat at this level which was far from a given. He ended the month on .286. He needs to work on his patience at the plate and he’s not going to be a power hitter but this guy has a future.

Alex Rodriguez. I’m not sure whether this is a positive or negative surprise. For most of May, A-Rod either swung for the fences or got out. His ability as a singles hitter seemed to have deserted him. But he kept going and the home runs kept coming and then on the 25th against Texas, he went 5 for 5 with 3 singles and 2 doubles. Go figure!

Jorge Posada. Posada’s injury seemed to come from nowhere but his damaged hamstring put him out for most of the month. However, either side of his time on the DL, he has still managed to produce with the bat and for that he earns my commendation.

April in the Bronx (part two) – the Pitchers

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Last season, the Yankees had one of the most consistent bullpens in baseball. This year, essentially the same bullpen staff has reported but with a stronger (on paper) starting rotation than last year. Having added CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, and with a fit-again Chien-Ming Wang and with Andy Pettitte without last year’s off-field distractions, what could possibly go wrong:

 

New York Yankees – Pitching – Month – April
 
Name GP GS GF IP H RA ER BB SO W L Sv ERA OBA
Hughes, Phil 1 1 0 6.0 2 0 0 2 6 1 0 0 0.00 .100
Swisher, Nick 1 0 1 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 .250
Melancon, Mark 2 0 1 3.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0.00 .100
Rivera, Mariano 10 0 8 9.2 12 3 3 0 13 0 0 5 2.79 .293
Pettitte, Andy 4 4 0 27.1 24 10 9 6 16 2 1 0 2.96 .240
Chamberlain, Joba 4 4 0 23.0 22 11 8 13 17 1 0 0 3.13 .265
Bruney, Brian 9 0 1 8.0 3 3 3 2 12 2 0 0 3.38 .111
Coke, Phil 11 0 1 9.2 7 7 4 4 8 1 1 0 3.72 .206
Robertson, David 2 0 2 2.1 3 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 3.86 .300
Sabathia, CC 5 5 0 32.1 31 18 17 14 19 1 2 0 4.73 .256
Burnett, AJ 5 5 0 31.2 29 19 19 13 25 2 0 0 5.40 .257
Veras, Jose 9 0 4 11.0 6 7 7 6 10 1 1 0 5.73 .154
Ramirez, Edwar 7 0 0 8.1 11 7 6 8 8 0 0 0 6.48 .306
Albaladejo, Jonathan 9 0 0 11.0 13 10 10 4 5 1 0 0 8.18 .317
Marte, Damaso 7 0 3 5.1 9 9 9 3 6 0 1 0 15.19 .360
Wang, Chien-Ming 3 3 0 6.0 23 23 23 6 2 0 3 0 34.50 .622
Claggett, Anthony 1 0 0 1.2 9 8 8 2 2 0 0 0 43.20 .643
  90 22 21 197.1 206 136 127 86 156 12 9 5 5.79 .273
 

Positives

Mariano Rivera. No surprise to see Mo at the top of my list but it hasn’t been without a wobble or two. But for most of the month there looked to be no chance of him giving up a run. And then came a tight game against Boston. One of Mariano’s strong suits has always been his mental toughness. After last season’s tendency to come up short in a tied game and having blown this particular save, there will be those who claim to have spotted a chink in his armour. Don’t know but at the moment he still looks the best closer in MLB.

Andy Pettitte. I expected Pettitte to be stronger this year and so far that is the story. Two wins and a 2.96 ERA in amongst a staff that hasn’t yet found its direction. It’s good to have this veteran around.

Brian Bruney. So I know that Bruney is on the DL (again) at the moment but this is based on his form prior to that. He had a dreadful first appearance but after that he looked basically unhittable. That .111 OBA speaks volumes. Time will tell whether his "rest" is a temporary glitch or something more substantial but fit, he looked one of our best options.

Joba Chamberlain. Just. Of the remaining starters Joba just comes out on top. In his last start, he finally looked dominating. Prior to that he had looked just enough – at least to keep us in the game. At the moment, the great experiment seems to be working. I’d rather see him in the bullpen and, boy, does the bullpen need him. But for now it seems to be working out. Just.

Negatives

Damaso Marte. What do you do with a left-handed specialist who can’t get left-handers out? Marte didn’t look the real deal last season. This year he hasn’t shown up at all. 15.19 ERA and more than a third of the batters he pitches to are getting on base. Horrible.

Edwar Ramirez. Last year, Ramirez looked dependable. This year, his ERA is 6 and a half. ‘Nuff said.

Jose Veras. Last year, Veras looked dependable. It is hard to track the cause of all these sudden down turns. More peculiar, that most of these guys looked good in Spring Training. Girardi needs to lift some heads that have fallen. His ability  / inability to instill confidence in the roster members may be the defining issue of his tenure as manager.

Jonathan Albaladejo. There’s not much to say that you couldn’t also say about Veras and Ramirez. There are simply too many members of the bullpen who are ragged and under-performing. These guys need to find some consistency.

Surprises

Chien-Ming Wang. Nobody knew quite what to expect from Wang in April. He was coming off a serious injury and his innings in the Spring had been few and their quality indecisive. Nobody expected him to be as bad as he has been. 34.50 ERA and an OBA over .6. Now he is on the disabled list again. This is quite a nosedive. Hope he can pull out of it.

Mark Melancon. Melancon didn’t even make it in to the 2009 Yankees media guide but here he is in the Majors and so far he is holding his own. Whether this can continue is debatable but as out of bullpen options as they have been (can you say "Swisher?"), it has been a pleasure to see him.

AJ Burnett. Burnett looked strong in his first two starts and it was encouraging to see a big money signing so strong straight out of the blocks. He hasn’t maintained that and he has a reputation for injuries. I don’t want any more nasty surprises.

Anthony Claggett. Claggett was a bright hope for the future. Claggett was called up when the pitching staff was particularly horrible in mid-April. Claggett was brought into a game that was already lost. Claggett only had to make some outs and get us through a few innings without further humiliation. Claggett looked worse than Chien-Ming Wang that had preceded him. That’s a lot of baggage for a bright hope to carry as he headed back to the Minors.

The pitching has not been good in April – in the Bronx and on the road!

April in the Bronx (part one)

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A new baseball season wouldn’t be quite the same without some interesting stories surrounding the Yankees. And 2009 has provided a plethora! We went into the season with the cloud of misdemeanours hanging over Alex Rodriguez, a drunk-driving charge for Joba Chamberlain, a new Stadium and an even more expensive roster than usual waiting to persuade the fans that they really had the goods. The month has been mostly successful but when the Yankees lost, they really lost. The lowlight was a 14 run innings given up for the first time in their history. Here’s how the batter’s shaped up in that first month:

New York Yankees – Batting – Month – April
 
Name G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO SH SF SB BA SLG OBP
Cano, Robinson 22 93 18 34 16 5 0 5 6 9 0 1 1 .366 .581 .400
Cabrera, Melky 20 49 11 16 9 0 0 4 6 8 0 0 2 .327 .571 .400
Swisher, Nick 22 77 21 24 19 8 1 7 15 19 0 0 0 .312 .714 .430
Damon, Johnny 20 78 15 23 10 2 1 4 11 11 0 1 3 .295 .500 .385
Matsui, Hideki 19 65 8 19 9 5 1 2 12 9 0 0 0 .292 .492 .410
Jeter, Derek 22 94 14 27 12 4 0 4 9 13 0 0 4 .287 .457 .350
Nady, Xavier 7 28 4 8 2 4 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 .286 .429 .310
Molina, Jose 11 29 2 8 5 0 0 1 3 4 1 0 0 .276 .379 .344
Posada, Jorge 20 69 7 19 14 6 0 3 10 18 0 2 1 .275 .493 .366
Pena, Ramiro 16 26 2 7 2 1 0 0 3 4 0 0 1 .269 .308 .345
Berroa, Angel 4 8 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .250 .250 .250
Gardner, Brett 21 59 9 13 4 3 0 0 3 11 2 1 5 .220 .271 .254
Teixeira, Mark 19 70 11 14 10 3 0 3 17 12 0 1 0 .200 .371 .367
Ransom, Cody 15 50 4 9 6 5 1 0 3 15 1 0 0 .180 .320 .226
    795 128 223 118 46 4 33 99 139 5 6 17 .281 .473 .362
 

Positives

Robinson Cano is not the indifferent player he was a year ago. Then his mind seemed to be elsewhere and his stroke had disappeared. Now he leads the team in batting average, he has 5 doubles and 5 homers. He has looked strong in the field.

Hideki Matsui has overcome some early days of discomfort and water on the knee following on from surgery to see his batting average climbing the list and with some work on his stance he is starting to see some power too.

Derek Jeter has answered some of his critics with some solid performances at shortstop. He’s never going to be the best shortstop in the league but he’s way better than some voices were suggesting. His performance with the bat has been solid and he’s settling into that role at the top of the line-up.

Jorge Posada. Mostly solid behind the plate and producing numbers that are a step-up on last year. The Posada – Molina tandem will serve us well for another year.

Negatives

Mark Teixeira. We need much more from Teixeira. At the moment, he is not giving us more from the position than Giambi did last year. Giambi was supposed to be at the end of his usefulness (he was). Teixeira is supposed to be the future (at the moment he isn’t). .200 with 3 home runs simply isn’t good enough.

Cody Ransom. Ransom was never going to fill A-Rod’s shoes but he was meant to be an adequate replacement without the baggage. Prior to his stint on the DL, he simply didn’t deliver. This wasn’t the young man who delivered two home runs in his first two at bats as a Yankee. Hey, he didn’t manage one in fifty! Can anybody say "Shane Spencer", "Shelley Duncan"?

Brett Gardner. I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Gardner’s substandard April doesn’t qualify as a surprise. He’s a little down on what I expected but he was always going to be a .240 hitter with speed, a useful arm in the field but no power. He doesn’t walk much so once his singles production had dropped with his confidence, he was never going to survive as the everyday centrefielder.

Xavier Nady. This injury to Nady and the very non-specific way in which the Yankees detailed it in press reports is worrying. Behind the scenes issues aside, Bobby Abreu was the obvious player for the Yankees to re-sign for 2009. Damon is not the player he once was and is legs are always going to cause him problems. Nady has one bout of serious arm trouble behind him. When we didn’t chase Abreu, there was always the caution that trouble could come back. The team just has to hope it hasn’t

Surprises

Melky Cabrera. The hope was that Cabrera would bounce back strong enough to challenge Gardner and maybe platoon if Brett didn’t work out. So far, Cabrera is the guy from 2007 that we thought we’d never see again. 4 home runs, .327 batting average, good in the field, some speed. Hey, what’s not to like!

Nick Swisher. During the torrid first weeks of the season, Swisher was our best hope. Things have settled down a little now – for him and for the team but, for someone I would have traded away before the season began, he has been simply great. He looks twice the player I saw playing for the White Sox last year. He has energy, power and enthusiasm.

Jose Molina. Last year when Posada was injured and Molina was bearing the whole weight (let’s not talk about Ivan Rodriguez), he was pretty horrible at the plate and had some substandard games behind the plate. As much as I am sure that he would like to be the everyday player, I think it all got on top of him. This year, he has been his usual self behind the plate but his ability to hit for average has returned.

Ramiro Pena. Pena was going to be the scrappy, little, throwback of a player, who would provide back-up for Ransom until A-Rod was fit and then return to the minors to continue to learn the game. For three weeks that is exactly what he was and then he began to hit and look confident at the plate. Well, I’m surprised.

It will be some months before I get to New York but those horrible glitch days aside I can feel reasonably comfortable that the Yankees can remain in contention until I get there. Looks like another fascinating season ahead. I’m enjoying it. Next, we look at the pitchers in April.