Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Yankees 2014 Season Preview: Right Field

Today, I am completing the outfield. The previous six parts in this series were center field, left field, shortstop, third base, second base, and first base.

Starter: Carlos Beltran
Carlos Beltran was acquired last offseason from the St. Louis Cardinals. He is a veteran player and has a .333 average in the postseason. He brings about twenty homeruns with a batting average of around .300. He should be an everyday starter unless he gets injured.

Backup: Ichiro
Ichiro will be a backup this year and will probably play in less than 100 games. He is in one of his last years as a player, but he still can provide speed at times. Last year, he stole twenty bases with an average of .262.  Ichiro will mostly backup around the outfield.

I will cover the pitchers in my next post.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Yankees 2014 Season Preview: Center Field

The five previous parts in this series were first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and left field. Today I will continue to move across the outfield.

Starter: Jacoby Ellsbury
Recently acquired from the Boston Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury was one of the biggest transactions of last offseason. He has had some injuries throughout his career, limiting him to 74 games in 2012. His best year came in 2011, with a .321 batting average, 32 homeruns, and 39 steals. None of his other seasons have been close to that, but at least he has shown promise.

Backup: Brett Gardner
As mentioned in a previous post, Brett Gardner brings good speed and fielding to the Yankees' outfield. He has also had good OBP numbers in the past.

I will finish the outfield next time with right field.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Yankees 2014 Season Preview: Left Field

Previously in this series, I have covered first base, second base, third base, and shortstop. Today, I will start with the outfield.

Starter: Brett Gardner
Brett Gardner is a valuable player because of his ability to both steal bases and get on base. He led the AL in steals in 2011 with 49 and in triples with 10 in 2013. His defensive skills are also quite good, providing the Yankees with a solid presence in left field.

Backup: Alfonso Soriano
Even though Alfonso Soriano will mostly play DH, he will also backup in left field. He experienced a string of good hitting after coming from the Chicago Cubs last season. He hit 34 homeruns last year, and is a good bet to get at least 20 this year. He also provided 18 stolen bases with a .255 average.  

Next I will move to center field.

How do you think the Yankees will do this season? Tell me in the comments below.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Yankees 2014 Season Preview: Shortstop

Today I will cover the final infield position, shortstop.

Starter: Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter is attempting to return from injury to have a great final season before retirement. This will be hard to do as he only played in seventeen games last season. He will try to produce, but staying healthy is his first concern.

Backup: Dean Anna
Dean Anna is a rookie that was traded from the Padres. He played extremely well in the Pacific Coast League, batting .331 with a .410 OBP. These marks were among the top in the league. If he can produce at close to this level for the Yankees, he will solidify his place as the shortstop of the future.

Next, I will cover the outfield.