WHY THE YANKEES LINEUP DESERVES A SHAKE-UP

Generally, as a Yankee fan, I’m pretty patient. When the team struggles on offense I usually just blow it off knowing that they’ll come around, but this offensive ineptitude by the Yankees has gone on for too long.

In the month of May the Yankees have scored the 12th most runs (62) in the American League, which is just three more than 13th place Minnesota and eight more than last place Seattle. What’s even worse is – as noted on the YES Network telecast on Saturday – that the Yankees are dead last in Major League Baseball in batting average with RISP at .160. That, folks, is pathetic, and needs to change. We’re getting close to nearly a full month of offensive futility by the Yanks that we as fans are simply not used to. What do we do? Shake up the lineup, that’s what. Here’s my proposed, new lineup…
(Note: Statistics updated through 5/19)

Derek Jeter: He’s been the best hitter on the Yankees so far hitting a robust .355/.400/.500 (BA/OBP/SLG), though he’s been in a slump of late. He’s been used to the lead off spot since 2009 and he’s a table-setter for the offense. Keep him right where he is.

Alex Rodriguez: This one may be a head scratcher, but bear with me. So far in 2012 Alex is hitting .277/.378/.410. The batting average and on base percentage numbers are fine, it’s his power numbers that are down. A .410 SLG isn’t very good for a guy like Alex, and he has just nine extra base hits, which is T-80th most in the American League. Take him out of the middle of the order where you’re generally going to get breaking balls and move him to the two-hole where you’re generally getting fastballs and maybe his power numbers go up.

Curtis Granderson: He’s been in a slump of late, but hell, the guy still hits for power. He’s second in the team in slugging percentage (.551) and tied for first with Robinson Cano in xBH (19). Although batting him in the middle of the order may take away his speed, he hardly tries to steal as it is (1-of-3 in ’12 in stolen bases), so who cares. Grady could bat fourth as well, doesn’t really matter.

Robinson Cano: Cano has been pretty hot with the bat the last few weeks to raise his batting line (.302/.353/.472) closer to where we’re accustomed to seeing it. He was moved from the fifth spot up to the 3rd/4th slot in the order because he deserved it, so keep him right there.

Nick Swisher: Swisher, like Granderson, has been slumping of late, but he has a respectable batting line of .260/.322/.504, and more importantly, he leads the team in RBI with 27. He’s been stuck in the six or seven-hole most of the season and he should be moved up to the fifth spot instead. I also wouldn’t mind if he batted second, but I prefer to bat ARod there instead, so, for now, Swish is in the five-hole.

Mark Teixeira: The way Tex has hit this season (.228/.283/.386) he should be batting seventh, really. But since Tex is making a boatload of money this season and for four more seasons after this, it wouldn’t look good from a PR standpoint to be batting him seventh. At least that’s how I see it anyway. Either way, Tex should be moved down in the order to give guys like Nick Swisher and Raul Ibanez more chances to drive in runs. Go ahead, blame the cough, but Tex is a grown man. He should know if he’s that sick he should be ask Girardi out of the lineup for a few days. It’s early, Tex, don’t try to be a hero.

Raul Ibanez: Despite me hating the Ibanez signing this past off season, Raul has shown he belongs. Owner of the highest slugging percentage on the team (.557), and second highest RBI total with 25, Ibanez should be batting sixth, but because Teixeira can’t really bat seventh, he’s batting seventh instead.

Russell Martin: I’ve always liked Martin, even when he was in LA, so with him hitting .170/.320/.320 it hurts inside a little bit for me. With that said, Martin should be batting in the eighth spot. Even if he heats up he’s likely still stuck in the eight-hole anyways.

Ninth hitter (Jayson Nix, Dewayne Wise. Brett Gardner when he comes back): Until Gardner comes back; the nine-hole will be filled with a rather incompetent hitter, to put it bluntly. Hopefully someone like Nix or Wise can catch fire for a few games and hold down the fort.

I get it, it’s easy for us to sit behind our computers and play manager. I know this lineup will likely never happen, but I like to voice my opinion. There’s no doubt that the Yankees’ lineup has struggled for much longer than we’re OK with, so it’d be nice if Girardi shuffled it up a bit. I mean, c’mon, these changes aren’t too drastic, right?
 


--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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