02/05: USA Today Names Their 100 Names You Need to Know for the 2009 Season
Posted by: Patrick
From USA TODAY:
Three Yankees made the list - Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson and David Robertson. Here's what USA TODAY had to say about them:
Via Mike.
USA TODAY Sports Weekly presents its 13th annual list of the 100 Names You Need to Know. These are the next wave of players heading into the major leagues who, in our view, could make the biggest impact during the 2009 season. These aren't necessarily baseball's 100 best prospects, because many top prospects are too far down in the minor leagues to contribute in the majors this season. Others are stuck behind established major leaguers.
Not all of the players on our list have rookie status, but our standard for inclusion is that a player must have had more innings or at-bats in the minor leagues in 2008 than he has had during all of his major league time.
Not all of the players on our list have rookie status, but our standard for inclusion is that a player must have had more innings or at-bats in the minor leagues in 2008 than he has had during all of his major league time.
Three Yankees made the list - Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson and David Robertson. Here's what USA TODAY had to say about them:
35. Brett Gardner, OF, Yankees: Right now, Gardner is stuck in a five-man logjam in the Yankees outfield. Things could clear up for him (a trade of Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, further club dissatisfaction with Melky Cabrera) or get more crowded (Jorge Posada forced to DH, pushing Hideki Matsui into the outfield mix). Gardner, 25, gives the Yankees a needed burst of speed (he stole 13 bases in 14 tries) and does the little things well, but will need to hit more — maybe a lot more — to get playing time.
84. Austin Jackson, OF, Yankees: The weak link in the Yankees' lineup, at least offensively, is center field, where either Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera is likely to be on opening day. By some point later in the season, it's not an unrealistic scenario that Jackson, 22, could be there. He is speedy with the ability to hit for average like Gardner but has more power. Cabrera can do similar things as Jackson offensively but slumped terribly at the plate last year. If Cabrera slumps again, Jackson will be a call away in Class AAA.
97. David Robertson, RHP, Yankees: Robertson, 23, emerged as a steady big-league bullpen option, then hit the wall with an 8.18 August ERA and was sent back to Class AAA. He throws hard enough to be a factor again this season, if not immediately.
84. Austin Jackson, OF, Yankees: The weak link in the Yankees' lineup, at least offensively, is center field, where either Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera is likely to be on opening day. By some point later in the season, it's not an unrealistic scenario that Jackson, 22, could be there. He is speedy with the ability to hit for average like Gardner but has more power. Cabrera can do similar things as Jackson offensively but slumped terribly at the plate last year. If Cabrera slumps again, Jackson will be a call away in Class AAA.
97. David Robertson, RHP, Yankees: Robertson, 23, emerged as a steady big-league bullpen option, then hit the wall with an 8.18 August ERA and was sent back to Class AAA. He throws hard enough to be a factor again this season, if not immediately.
Via Mike.
