11/22: YanksBlog.com 2006 Regular Season Grades: The Hitters
Posted by: YB Bloggers
The 2006 is well over now and we've had some time to think and reflect back on the individual performances of the season. And so, here are our individual player grades for the 2006 regular season. First, we have the hitters. We'll cover the pitchers in a future entry.
C - Jorge Posada: A
Patrick: 2006 was a nice bounce back year for Jorge, from the down year that 2005 was. He hit .277 with a .374 OBA, .492 SLG, 27 doubles, 23 home runs and 93 runs batted in. His .492 SLG was the 3rd best mark he's put up in his career while the 143 games he played ties with 2002 for the second most in a single season. Somehow, he managed to steal 3 bases, more than he's ever stolen in a single season, while not being caught once.
C - Sal Fasano: C
Jason O.: How can you not love Sal? The sweet facial hair, the cannoli-fueled physique - this guy is 100% old school. He fulfilled his expected role admirably (very little offense, above average defense) as a back-up catcher after the release of Kelly Stinnett.
1B - Andy Phillips: D+
James V.: Based on this year, if the Yankees have Andy Phillips starting at first base next year, something will have gone wrong during this off season. He shouldn't be the primary option because if you're the Yanks, you can't have a guy who gets 350+ ABs be someone who can't hit a breaking ball and can't hit left-handers (.195/.233/.244 with 18Ks in 82 ABs). Put the two together and Andy might have been better off not heading up to bat!
In Phillips' defense, he never really got consistent at bats throughout the year except for a few stretches and in some of those times, he looked like he could hit. He can hit a fastball but then again, so can anyone in the majors. His problem lies in identifying breaking pitches and he never really made adjustments as the year went on. He had a torrid June, where he posted a .333/.347/.623 line, and I had to admit, I thought he was finally making some strides in his approach. Well, he quickly disproved that idea by following up with a .165/.208/.275 line (in more at bats!) in July. Then the Yanks picked up Aaron Guiel and Craig Wilson, Phillips got hurt and that was pretty much the end of the season for him.
Honestly, I like and feel for the guy because of how long (and well) he's played in the minors and the health problems that his wife faced earlier in the season. I still think he can be an asset to many teams. However, this year he wasn't one for the Yankees and I'm not sure he'll get another chance. I would rather have him on the bench than Cairo next year because he can play all the infield positions and has more pop than Miggy but Cairo makes more contact and is a better defender. Pick your poison.
1B - Craig Wilson: D+
P: After being acquired at the deadline, Craig got 104 ABs in 40 games. He just couldn't get it going, ending with a .212 average, 4 HR, 8 RBI and a .248 OBA.
2B - Robinson Cano: A
Seamus: This guy has easily become one of my favorites if not my favorite Yankees' position player next to Derek Jeter (no pun intended). Just think - people talk all day about the Yankees' payroll and here they have this guy in his second year in the league, making around $1M per year, if that, and he finishes 3rd in the A.L. in hitting. He was good enough in the first half and when he came back from that injury shortly after the all-star break, it seemed like there wasn't a ball that wasn't hit hard by him the rest of the season. Not to mention his defense has picked up quite a bit from his rookie season.
SS - Derek Jeter: A+
P: It didn't prove to be an MVP season for Jeter, but, regardless of what the vote totals say, it was an MVP caliber season. Of all of the overall great seasons that Jeter has been able to put together, this one is certainly up there.
In 154 games, he hit .344 (career 2nd best, 2nd best in AL) with 118 runs (2nd AL), 214 hits (career 2nd, T3rd AL), 39 doubles (career 2nd), 3 triples, 14 home runs, 97 RBI (career 2nd), 34 stolen bases (career best, 7th AL), a .417 OBA (career 2nd, 4th AL), .483 SLG (career 2nd) and .900 OPS (career 2nd). And then to top it off with a gold glove award makes it that much sweeter. What might get missed is the fact that he had his best statistical year on the base paths, stealing 34 bases in 39 attempts.
3B - Alex Rodriguez: B+
JO:: Performed probably 15%-20% below expectations offensively and still led the team in RBIs. He had an unexpectedly high error rate, yet still ranked among the top 3 A.L. 3rd basemen in VORP. No need to recap the season long A-Rod hunt by a rapacious New York media, except to say that it definitely affected his production. Barring a catastrophic injury, he's going to hit well over 750 career HR's. As a Yankee, he's hit 119 HRs and has 357 RBIs. Conventional wisdom tells us that he's already gone... either way, in Cashman we trust.
IF - Miguel Cairo: C
JV: Miguel Cairo was brought in for the year to back up Robbie Cano and Derek Jeter up the middle and for the most part, he did the job. When Robbie went down, Miggy stepped in there and though he wasn't great at the plate (OK, he was actually pretty bad - .228/.238/.297), he made up for that in the field, gobbling up anything that was hit in his area code. Other than that, once Robbie came back and with the emergence (if you could call it that) of Nick Green, Cairo saw his role diminish. A free agent after this season, I would be surprised if the Yankees bring him back – finding a replacement for a 32 year old backup middle infielder who has hit over .251 once since 2002 doesn't seem like too big of a task, does it?
IF - Nick Green: C
P: After starting the season with the Devil Rays, the Yankees picked Green up and he was a fixture on the roster in July, August and September. He got into 46 games, picking up just 75 at bats. He hit .240 with 8 runs, 5 doubles, 2 HR, 4 RBI and a .296 OBA.
LF - Melky Cabrera: B+
S: Gotta love these Yankee newbies. I don't know if I've seen such a well rounded Yankee player at his age since I've been watching them play. He's patient at the plate, he has decent speed, a phenomenal arm for a left fielder, can hit for occasional power and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. You know he's a keeper when you have Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu and Gary Sheffield in the OF and people are complaining that Melky's not in the order.
LF/DH - Hideki Matsui: B
P: Matsui's consecutive games streak finally came to an end at 518 (in the MLB) and 1,768 (MLB/Japan) with his wrist injury. But, when he did play (51 games), he played well, hitting .302 with 32 runs, 9 doubles, 8 homers, 29 RBI, a .393 OBA and .887 OPS. He gets credit for working hard to get back from injury and into the lineup in September.
CF - Johnny Damon: A-
JO:: Simply excellent in his lead off role. He delivered on expectations to spark the lineup and was inserted with much fanfare into the Yankees lineup after a brilliant off season strike by Cashman. In arguably his best offensive season, Damon complemented his plate prowess with fine play in CF despite multiple nagging injuries. He injected some much needed comic relief (what did you expect?) into the Yankees clubhouse.
RF - Bobby Abreu: A
JV: Outside of the postseason, most people would be hard pressed not to count Bobby Abreu's half-season in pinstripes as a success. In total, Bobby had 209 ABs in Yankee pinstripes and he made them count, going .330/.419/.507 in that span (which coincidentally, is pretty close to Jeter's stat line for the full year). Everyone knows Abreu's game by now; he is a remarkably patient hitter and takes his share of walks (his 124 BBs would have led either league had he been eligible) and strikeouts (138 Ks). After he switched leagues, perhaps after a concerted change in his approach at the plate, Abreu put a few more balls in the air, helping him in the XBH and SLG category as a few of those fly balls ended up going out. Other than that, he was an on base machine who fit in perfectly into the Yankee line up. His acquisition allowed Torre to put a left handed version of Derek Jeter (though Abreu is more patient) in the line up right after the Captain. That's a luxury most teams would have loved to have. As a bonus, Bobby averaged 4.44 pitches a plate appearance as a Yankee, which when combined with Jason Giambi behind him, really helped to wear pitchers down.
Defensively, Abreu's not a Gold Glover in right field (oh wait, yes, he is) but I'd probably peg him as average over the course of a full year. While that's no great shake, it's still a better option than the slipping Gary Sheffield. His critics in Philly maintain that his key deficiency is going back on balls but for the most part, Yankee fans did not see that and again, the man he replaced didn't exactly have great jumps going back on balls, either. In the future, it'll be interesting to see how Abreu ages (his closest comparison through age 32 is none other than Bernie Williams, who had his last great season at age 33), but that's a story to think about next year. For 2006, at least, Bobby Abreu was consistently great for the Yankees.
RF/1B/DH - Gary Sheffield: C+
P: Like Matsui, much of Sheff's season was lost to injury. He was injured in the early goings and came back at the end. For the season, he hit .298 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI in 39 games. Before the injury, he was hitting .309 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI in 30 games. After coming back, he hit .250 with 2 and 6 in 9. And, of course, he played his hand at 1B, thanks to Bobby Abreu being acquired. In the end, 2006 was basically a lost season for Sheff, unfortunately.
OF/DH - Bernie Williams: B
S: Not a bad season for what very well could be his last in the bigs. With the injuries to Matsui and Sheffield, he got a lot more playing time than anybody expected and he played pretty well. It'd be nice to have him around as a 5th OF or something if he's willing to do it, but don't get your hopes up and don't blame him if he doesn't. If not, best of wishes in whatever comes next for him.
OF - Bubba Crosby: D+
P: Crosby got into 65 games through August 3, but that would be all she wrote as he wouldn't play in another one for the rest of the year. This is thanks in part, at least, to his minuscule numbers at the plate, hitting .207 with a .258 OBA and .299 SLG.
OF/1B - Aaron Guiel: C+
JO: The Kansas City castoff became a critical plug in the massive outfield leak caused by the loss of Godzilla and Sheffield. Above average defense and he had his moments swinging the stick, as well.
DH/1B - Jason Giambi B+
JV: Well, from 2005 on, Jason has been inconsistent in his inconsistency. Last year, he was bad in the first half, great in the second but for 2006, he decided to change it up a little. Why be consistent for a full half – let's go up and down every month. If you don't believe, just look at the splits – heck, you get out of breath just looking at these peaks and valleys! When Jason was good, he was one of the best, and most patient, hitters in the majors. When he was bad, the man couldn't buy a hit. Still, even in those down times, he remained a patient hitter, working counts and wearing down starters. By the end of the year, Giambi finished with numbers any Yankee fan would take; .253/.413/.558 with 37 HRs and 113 RBIs which would be, arguably, his second best year in pinstripes. There were other positives, as well. He walked more than he struck out and badgered pitchers to the tune of 4.37 pitches per plate appearance. Honestly, his season would probably have been even better had he not gotten hurt (or more hurt) at the end of the season and therein lies a dilemma.
Everyone knows of Giambi's predilection to hit quite a bit better while playing first base (.224/.373/.531/.904 as a DH vs. .289/.459/.592/1.051 as a 1B). I don't know why it is but it just seems to be how Jason operates. It has been looked at repeatedly but humor me and look again at his splits as a DH since 2000 and as a 1B. Actually, 2006 was one of his better years as a DH – he actually slugged over .500, which was a first since 2001. Whatever the reason, Jason wants to be, and is a more potent weapon as, a first baseman.
However, it seems that he simply cannot do it anymore. When he was sent out to the field this past year, he didn't embarrass himself, but it looks like he'll be getting to that point fairly quickly. His limited range keeps being whittled down even more each year, he has a bad/no arm and most importantly, wears down quickly. He will be 36 at the beginning of the 2007 season and is on the books for an untradeable amount of $21 million a year for the next two years (not including his $5 buyout in 2009). If anything, 2006 proved that his surge in 2005 was no fluke. Jason can still hit – however, the key question remains unanswered – what do you do with him now? Is he an average DH who can do it for a full year or a horrible defensive first baseman, who will wear down over the season, but has a bat that will carry your team for stretches? It will be interesting to see how the Yankees play it.
C - Jorge Posada: A
Patrick: 2006 was a nice bounce back year for Jorge, from the down year that 2005 was. He hit .277 with a .374 OBA, .492 SLG, 27 doubles, 23 home runs and 93 runs batted in. His .492 SLG was the 3rd best mark he's put up in his career while the 143 games he played ties with 2002 for the second most in a single season. Somehow, he managed to steal 3 bases, more than he's ever stolen in a single season, while not being caught once.
C - Sal Fasano: C
Jason O.: How can you not love Sal? The sweet facial hair, the cannoli-fueled physique - this guy is 100% old school. He fulfilled his expected role admirably (very little offense, above average defense) as a back-up catcher after the release of Kelly Stinnett.
1B - Andy Phillips: D+
James V.: Based on this year, if the Yankees have Andy Phillips starting at first base next year, something will have gone wrong during this off season. He shouldn't be the primary option because if you're the Yanks, you can't have a guy who gets 350+ ABs be someone who can't hit a breaking ball and can't hit left-handers (.195/.233/.244 with 18Ks in 82 ABs). Put the two together and Andy might have been better off not heading up to bat!
In Phillips' defense, he never really got consistent at bats throughout the year except for a few stretches and in some of those times, he looked like he could hit. He can hit a fastball but then again, so can anyone in the majors. His problem lies in identifying breaking pitches and he never really made adjustments as the year went on. He had a torrid June, where he posted a .333/.347/.623 line, and I had to admit, I thought he was finally making some strides in his approach. Well, he quickly disproved that idea by following up with a .165/.208/.275 line (in more at bats!) in July. Then the Yanks picked up Aaron Guiel and Craig Wilson, Phillips got hurt and that was pretty much the end of the season for him.
Honestly, I like and feel for the guy because of how long (and well) he's played in the minors and the health problems that his wife faced earlier in the season. I still think he can be an asset to many teams. However, this year he wasn't one for the Yankees and I'm not sure he'll get another chance. I would rather have him on the bench than Cairo next year because he can play all the infield positions and has more pop than Miggy but Cairo makes more contact and is a better defender. Pick your poison.
1B - Craig Wilson: D+
P: After being acquired at the deadline, Craig got 104 ABs in 40 games. He just couldn't get it going, ending with a .212 average, 4 HR, 8 RBI and a .248 OBA.
2B - Robinson Cano: A
Seamus: This guy has easily become one of my favorites if not my favorite Yankees' position player next to Derek Jeter (no pun intended). Just think - people talk all day about the Yankees' payroll and here they have this guy in his second year in the league, making around $1M per year, if that, and he finishes 3rd in the A.L. in hitting. He was good enough in the first half and when he came back from that injury shortly after the all-star break, it seemed like there wasn't a ball that wasn't hit hard by him the rest of the season. Not to mention his defense has picked up quite a bit from his rookie season.
SS - Derek Jeter: A+
P: It didn't prove to be an MVP season for Jeter, but, regardless of what the vote totals say, it was an MVP caliber season. Of all of the overall great seasons that Jeter has been able to put together, this one is certainly up there.
In 154 games, he hit .344 (career 2nd best, 2nd best in AL) with 118 runs (2nd AL), 214 hits (career 2nd, T3rd AL), 39 doubles (career 2nd), 3 triples, 14 home runs, 97 RBI (career 2nd), 34 stolen bases (career best, 7th AL), a .417 OBA (career 2nd, 4th AL), .483 SLG (career 2nd) and .900 OPS (career 2nd). And then to top it off with a gold glove award makes it that much sweeter. What might get missed is the fact that he had his best statistical year on the base paths, stealing 34 bases in 39 attempts.
3B - Alex Rodriguez: B+
JO:: Performed probably 15%-20% below expectations offensively and still led the team in RBIs. He had an unexpectedly high error rate, yet still ranked among the top 3 A.L. 3rd basemen in VORP. No need to recap the season long A-Rod hunt by a rapacious New York media, except to say that it definitely affected his production. Barring a catastrophic injury, he's going to hit well over 750 career HR's. As a Yankee, he's hit 119 HRs and has 357 RBIs. Conventional wisdom tells us that he's already gone... either way, in Cashman we trust.
IF - Miguel Cairo: C
JV: Miguel Cairo was brought in for the year to back up Robbie Cano and Derek Jeter up the middle and for the most part, he did the job. When Robbie went down, Miggy stepped in there and though he wasn't great at the plate (OK, he was actually pretty bad - .228/.238/.297), he made up for that in the field, gobbling up anything that was hit in his area code. Other than that, once Robbie came back and with the emergence (if you could call it that) of Nick Green, Cairo saw his role diminish. A free agent after this season, I would be surprised if the Yankees bring him back – finding a replacement for a 32 year old backup middle infielder who has hit over .251 once since 2002 doesn't seem like too big of a task, does it?
IF - Nick Green: C
P: After starting the season with the Devil Rays, the Yankees picked Green up and he was a fixture on the roster in July, August and September. He got into 46 games, picking up just 75 at bats. He hit .240 with 8 runs, 5 doubles, 2 HR, 4 RBI and a .296 OBA.
LF - Melky Cabrera: B+
S: Gotta love these Yankee newbies. I don't know if I've seen such a well rounded Yankee player at his age since I've been watching them play. He's patient at the plate, he has decent speed, a phenomenal arm for a left fielder, can hit for occasional power and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. You know he's a keeper when you have Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu and Gary Sheffield in the OF and people are complaining that Melky's not in the order.
LF/DH - Hideki Matsui: B
P: Matsui's consecutive games streak finally came to an end at 518 (in the MLB) and 1,768 (MLB/Japan) with his wrist injury. But, when he did play (51 games), he played well, hitting .302 with 32 runs, 9 doubles, 8 homers, 29 RBI, a .393 OBA and .887 OPS. He gets credit for working hard to get back from injury and into the lineup in September.
CF - Johnny Damon: A-
JO:: Simply excellent in his lead off role. He delivered on expectations to spark the lineup and was inserted with much fanfare into the Yankees lineup after a brilliant off season strike by Cashman. In arguably his best offensive season, Damon complemented his plate prowess with fine play in CF despite multiple nagging injuries. He injected some much needed comic relief (what did you expect?) into the Yankees clubhouse.
RF - Bobby Abreu: A
JV: Outside of the postseason, most people would be hard pressed not to count Bobby Abreu's half-season in pinstripes as a success. In total, Bobby had 209 ABs in Yankee pinstripes and he made them count, going .330/.419/.507 in that span (which coincidentally, is pretty close to Jeter's stat line for the full year). Everyone knows Abreu's game by now; he is a remarkably patient hitter and takes his share of walks (his 124 BBs would have led either league had he been eligible) and strikeouts (138 Ks). After he switched leagues, perhaps after a concerted change in his approach at the plate, Abreu put a few more balls in the air, helping him in the XBH and SLG category as a few of those fly balls ended up going out. Other than that, he was an on base machine who fit in perfectly into the Yankee line up. His acquisition allowed Torre to put a left handed version of Derek Jeter (though Abreu is more patient) in the line up right after the Captain. That's a luxury most teams would have loved to have. As a bonus, Bobby averaged 4.44 pitches a plate appearance as a Yankee, which when combined with Jason Giambi behind him, really helped to wear pitchers down.
Defensively, Abreu's not a Gold Glover in right field (oh wait, yes, he is) but I'd probably peg him as average over the course of a full year. While that's no great shake, it's still a better option than the slipping Gary Sheffield. His critics in Philly maintain that his key deficiency is going back on balls but for the most part, Yankee fans did not see that and again, the man he replaced didn't exactly have great jumps going back on balls, either. In the future, it'll be interesting to see how Abreu ages (his closest comparison through age 32 is none other than Bernie Williams, who had his last great season at age 33), but that's a story to think about next year. For 2006, at least, Bobby Abreu was consistently great for the Yankees.
RF/1B/DH - Gary Sheffield: C+
P: Like Matsui, much of Sheff's season was lost to injury. He was injured in the early goings and came back at the end. For the season, he hit .298 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI in 39 games. Before the injury, he was hitting .309 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI in 30 games. After coming back, he hit .250 with 2 and 6 in 9. And, of course, he played his hand at 1B, thanks to Bobby Abreu being acquired. In the end, 2006 was basically a lost season for Sheff, unfortunately.
OF/DH - Bernie Williams: B
S: Not a bad season for what very well could be his last in the bigs. With the injuries to Matsui and Sheffield, he got a lot more playing time than anybody expected and he played pretty well. It'd be nice to have him around as a 5th OF or something if he's willing to do it, but don't get your hopes up and don't blame him if he doesn't. If not, best of wishes in whatever comes next for him.
OF - Bubba Crosby: D+
P: Crosby got into 65 games through August 3, but that would be all she wrote as he wouldn't play in another one for the rest of the year. This is thanks in part, at least, to his minuscule numbers at the plate, hitting .207 with a .258 OBA and .299 SLG.
OF/1B - Aaron Guiel: C+
JO: The Kansas City castoff became a critical plug in the massive outfield leak caused by the loss of Godzilla and Sheffield. Above average defense and he had his moments swinging the stick, as well.
DH/1B - Jason Giambi B+
JV: Well, from 2005 on, Jason has been inconsistent in his inconsistency. Last year, he was bad in the first half, great in the second but for 2006, he decided to change it up a little. Why be consistent for a full half – let's go up and down every month. If you don't believe, just look at the splits – heck, you get out of breath just looking at these peaks and valleys! When Jason was good, he was one of the best, and most patient, hitters in the majors. When he was bad, the man couldn't buy a hit. Still, even in those down times, he remained a patient hitter, working counts and wearing down starters. By the end of the year, Giambi finished with numbers any Yankee fan would take; .253/.413/.558 with 37 HRs and 113 RBIs which would be, arguably, his second best year in pinstripes. There were other positives, as well. He walked more than he struck out and badgered pitchers to the tune of 4.37 pitches per plate appearance. Honestly, his season would probably have been even better had he not gotten hurt (or more hurt) at the end of the season and therein lies a dilemma.
Everyone knows of Giambi's predilection to hit quite a bit better while playing first base (.224/.373/.531/.904 as a DH vs. .289/.459/.592/1.051 as a 1B). I don't know why it is but it just seems to be how Jason operates. It has been looked at repeatedly but humor me and look again at his splits as a DH since 2000 and as a 1B. Actually, 2006 was one of his better years as a DH – he actually slugged over .500, which was a first since 2001. Whatever the reason, Jason wants to be, and is a more potent weapon as, a first baseman.
However, it seems that he simply cannot do it anymore. When he was sent out to the field this past year, he didn't embarrass himself, but it looks like he'll be getting to that point fairly quickly. His limited range keeps being whittled down even more each year, he has a bad/no arm and most importantly, wears down quickly. He will be 36 at the beginning of the 2007 season and is on the books for an untradeable amount of $21 million a year for the next two years (not including his $5 buyout in 2009). If anything, 2006 proved that his surge in 2005 was no fluke. Jason can still hit – however, the key question remains unanswered – what do you do with him now? Is he an average DH who can do it for a full year or a horrible defensive first baseman, who will wear down over the season, but has a bat that will carry your team for stretches? It will be interesting to see how the Yankees play it.
