(Mind the gaps, gentlemen.)
The first of a two-part known/unknown preview to come your way today, this one involving the outfield. If you missed the first part over the weekend, don't fret. It's right here. The things I do for you people. All caught up? Good. Onward and upward.
LF- Brett Gardner
What We Know: He can be an everyday player.
Gardner has almost as many questions surrounding him going into last season as the back end of the rotation does this year, and he more than held his own in the field and in the lineup as the everyday LF. A .277/.383/.379 tripleslash and a 106 OPS+ to go alone with 47 SB and solid defense is pretty damn respectable. And those numbers would have been better were it not for the heater he took off the wrist in the summer that sapped what little power he has in his swing.
What We Don't Know: Can he take the next step?
I'm a firm believer that Gardner can develop into a poor man's Ichiro if he stays healthy, keeps working, and develops a little more pop to his swing, and have said as much on this blog before. He was hitting at an All-Star level before the HBP on the wrist last summer. But there are many who think Gardner outperformed his true talent last season and will regress this year. Gardy's got some work to do to silence the doubters.
CF- Curtis Granderson
What We Know: Last year was a disappointment.
For him and for all the fans, who were hoping for a version of C-Grand similar to the 2007-2008 model. Instead, we got treated to a watered-down version of what he was during his last year in Detroit. It all came to a head when Granderson was taken out of the lineup for 2 days to revamp his swing with Kevin Long. The results of that work were noticeable, as Grandy finished the year looking much better at the plate, though still not good enough to make up for the early season struggles.
What We Don't Know: Whether he's truly turned the corner.
His hot finish to the 2010 regular season carried over to the playoffs, where C-Grand was one of the few Yankees who actually swung the bat well. He has looked good so far in ST this year, but will need to carry that over to the regular season and show some consistency with his new hitting approach to really prove he's worth the trade the Yankees made for him.
RF- Nick Swisher
What We Know: He has been reborn in New York.
It's obvious by now that Swish was drowning in Chicago and New York was his life preserver. He's taken to the city and fans like a duck to water, he's added some much needed energy and looseness to the traditionally stuffy Yankee clubhouse, and he's had the 2 best years of his career in the Bronx, including a title in '09 and his first ASG appearance in '10. Goofy as he is, Swish fits into the fabric of the team and the organization perfectly.
What We Don't Know: How much longer he'll be a Yankee.
I can't see any reason why the Yankees wouldn't bring him back, but Swish does have a $12 mil team option for 2012 that could become questionable if he regresses a bit this season. He will turn 30 this year, and the Yankees certainly aren't interested in handing out a Jayson Werth-style contract to him. But if Swish continues on the production trail he has blazed over the past 2 years, the Yankees will most likely offer him some kind of new deal.
LF- Brett Gardner
What We Know: He can be an everyday player.
Gardner has almost as many questions surrounding him going into last season as the back end of the rotation does this year, and he more than held his own in the field and in the lineup as the everyday LF. A .277/.383/.379 tripleslash and a 106 OPS+ to go alone with 47 SB and solid defense is pretty damn respectable. And those numbers would have been better were it not for the heater he took off the wrist in the summer that sapped what little power he has in his swing.
What We Don't Know: Can he take the next step?
I'm a firm believer that Gardner can develop into a poor man's Ichiro if he stays healthy, keeps working, and develops a little more pop to his swing, and have said as much on this blog before. He was hitting at an All-Star level before the HBP on the wrist last summer. But there are many who think Gardner outperformed his true talent last season and will regress this year. Gardy's got some work to do to silence the doubters.
CF- Curtis Granderson
What We Know: Last year was a disappointment.
For him and for all the fans, who were hoping for a version of C-Grand similar to the 2007-2008 model. Instead, we got treated to a watered-down version of what he was during his last year in Detroit. It all came to a head when Granderson was taken out of the lineup for 2 days to revamp his swing with Kevin Long. The results of that work were noticeable, as Grandy finished the year looking much better at the plate, though still not good enough to make up for the early season struggles.
What We Don't Know: Whether he's truly turned the corner.
His hot finish to the 2010 regular season carried over to the playoffs, where C-Grand was one of the few Yankees who actually swung the bat well. He has looked good so far in ST this year, but will need to carry that over to the regular season and show some consistency with his new hitting approach to really prove he's worth the trade the Yankees made for him.
RF- Nick Swisher
What We Know: He has been reborn in New York.
It's obvious by now that Swish was drowning in Chicago and New York was his life preserver. He's taken to the city and fans like a duck to water, he's added some much needed energy and looseness to the traditionally stuffy Yankee clubhouse, and he's had the 2 best years of his career in the Bronx, including a title in '09 and his first ASG appearance in '10. Goofy as he is, Swish fits into the fabric of the team and the organization perfectly.
What We Don't Know: How much longer he'll be a Yankee.
I can't see any reason why the Yankees wouldn't bring him back, but Swish does have a $12 mil team option for 2012 that could become questionable if he regresses a bit this season. He will turn 30 this year, and the Yankees certainly aren't interested in handing out a Jayson Werth-style contract to him. But if Swish continues on the production trail he has blazed over the past 2 years, the Yankees will most likely offer him some kind of new deal.
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