New York Yankees Preview

By Kyle Soppe

Sure, the future hall of famers are aging and reaching the twilights of their careers, but the New York Yankees no longer feel like a team whose window of opportunity will close once their iconic core hang up their cleats.

Alex Rodriguez (36 years old) is no longer the stud that set an MLB record by producing at least 30 homers and 100 RBI in 13 consecutive seasons, but he is still a solid run producing option in the middle of a loaded lineup. Yankee Stadium is a hitters park, and regardless of how you feel about Arod, it is hard to argue that, when healthy, he is still a feared number three/four hitter. With the retirement of Jorge Posada, Arod should benefit from spending more time at DH in 2012.

Derek Jeter (37) had a nice bounce back season after a disappointing 2010, but make no mistake about it, signs of decline are obvious. His range isn’t what it used to be, and he is no longer legging out infield hits on a consistent basis. He is no longer a feared leadoff hitter, but he is a true professional, and always a tough out. While the MVP type seasons are behind him, it is impossible to deny that Jeter can contribute. He doesn’t strike out, and works the count. Maybe not the flashy contributions we are used to, but nevertheless, an important role when it comes to winning ball games.

Mo Rivera (42) continues to defy logic, and remains an elite closer. He has yet to show real signs of decline, and can once again be counted on in the 9th inning. He won’t pitch on back to back nights very often, but his 65 innings and 40 saves are nearly guaranteed.

Freddy Garcia (36) is a journey man, and it would be risky for the Yanks to count on him for much this year. So with the elderly covered, let’s take a look at why Bronx Bomber fans should embrace 2012.

With the hitter friendly ballpark, Curtis Granderson (31) should continue to thrive. He produced MVP numbers last season, and a move up in the order sparked his great season. Mark Teixera (31) figures to be entering the prime of his career, and hitting behind Granderson and Arod, will certainly continue his streak of seven consecutive campaigns of at least 105 RBI. These are guys in their prime, who everybody knows about. Let’s take a look at some baby Bombers who will fill the role of the aging superstars.

Brett Gardner (28) brings a new dimension to the power oriented Yanks. He stole 49 bases last season, and is a pure leadoff hitter who can spray hits to all fields. Pessimists point to his putrid batting average (.259 last season), but Jeter hit 20 points under his career average when he was 28 years old too. Expect Gardner to bat closer to .280 and distract pitchers when he gets on base.

The remaining infielder that we have not touched on is an absolute stud. It is rare that an offensively explosive team is paced by a middle infielder, but Robinson Cano (29) has the skills to do just that for this years Yanks. He combines durability (he’s played in at least 159 games in each of the past five seasons) with the power of a cleanup hitter and the eye of a leadoff man. Cano had 81 extra base hits a season ago, and figures to at least match that this season. He will likely supplant Arod as the teams cleanup hitter before long, meaning more at bats for the best second basemen in the game.

So we’ve established that New York is still a potent offense, now onto the other facet of the game: pitching. Typically a sore area for the Yankees, as they tend to lack depth. CC Sabathia (31) is a true ace, and the innings eater battles every fifth day. He still has plenty of gas in the tank, and has shown the ability to carry a team (just ask any Brewer fan). But he is not the only reason this team can do some serious damage this season. Michael Pineda (23), recently acquired in the trade that sent hot shot catching prospect Jesus Montero to Seattle, is an ace in the making. In his rookie season, he stroke out more than a batter per inning, a key stat as balls tend to fly out of Yankee Stadium. He will get much more run support this season, and is a sure bet for 15 wins.

Second year starter Ivan Nova (25) will follow Pineda in the rotation after an ultra impressive 2011. He won 16 of his 20 decisions and walked less batters than established superstars like David Price, Matt Cain, and Felix Hernandez. Don’t get me wrong, he is not in the class of pitcher, but as the Yanks third option, he’s a far cry from the AJ Burnett’s of the world. Phil Hughes (25) was just inked to a one year deal, and is in a put up or shut up season. He is a young gun with plenty of potential, but has been unable to establish himself as the major league pitcher that most projected him as. I like Hughes to have a serviceable season, and make the Yanks rotation four deep.

The final reason for my optimism is middle inning man David Robertson (26). He has already emerged as the best at his craft, and will be called on more heavily should Rivera begin to tire. The confidence that Girardi has in him will result in the starters being well rested, as they won’t need to go eight innings on a regular basis. The bullpen is a strength, and typically gets a night off when CC takes the hill, so I expect them to be strong for 162+ games.

Full disclosure, I am a Yankee hater and tend to root against the pinstripes every night. But if I take a step back and look at this roster, I see 93 wins and a playoff berth.