Yankees’ Brett Gardner Should Provide Needed Spark in Return

The New York Yankees should be happy to have Brett Gardner back. For the majority of the 2012 Major League Baseball season (146 games to be exact), the Bronx Bombers were without the speedy outfielder and his absence took an obvious toll.

The Yankees lacked a ton of speed on the bases last season, ranking 22nd with 93 stolen bases (down from fourth-place in 2011 with 147) and they scored 63 less runs than in the year before. It is worth noting that they did still manage to finish second in runs scored with 604 but struggled mightily with runners in scoring position (they hit just .256).

Gardner’s return to the lineup should help New York’s cause in that department. Though he has never hit at a batting average higher than .277 in three full seasons, his career on-base percentage of .355 makes him a valuable commodity to a club desperate to drive in runs. The 29-year-old knows how to get on base, and when he does, anything is possible.

Just two years removed from leading the league in stolen bases with 49, Gardner’s ability to stir things up on the base paths adds another necessary dynamic to the Yankees’ offense. Owning more home runs in three of the last five years than any other team in the MLB, New York generally excels as a power-hitting ball club.

Without Gardner, the Yankees featured no speed whatsoever on their roster. Until the acquisition of fellow outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, 37-year-old third baseman Alex Rodriguez led the team in stolen bases despite very limited playing time for various reasons.

Steals aside, the Yankees were highly dependent on the home run because of their difficulty driving in runs via anything else. They set a record with a home run in 131 of 162 regular season games and were 88-43 when doing so — good for a .672 winning percentage. They were 7-24 when they did not hit at least one home run (.225 winning percentage).

Fortunately, they were able to power their way to a playoff berth and an American League East title. But when they clashed with a Detroit Tigers team in the American League Championship Series that featured a phenomenal pitching staff, their big bats suddenly disappeared. Seemingly struck with the belief that they could only score by way of home run — which the statistics support — the Yankee hitters went up to bat swinging for the fences.

New York’s season ended in four consecutive defeats at the hands of the Tigers.

This team was overly dependent on the home run and it cost them dearly. However, the return of Gardner should change things. With him in the lineup, there is a mere certainty that he will get on base at least once a game and, more often than not, will put himself in scoring position so that a bloop single could drive him in regardless of who may be trying to throw him out at home. In 2010 and 2011, the Yankee outfielder averaged 92 runs scored.

Second baseman Robinson Cano, first baseman Mark Teixeira and outfielder Curtis Granderson are the only real power threats remaining in the lineup, meaning the team’s philosophy will need to change at the plate anyway. Gardner, combined with the equally athletic Ichiro (despite his diminishing talents at 39 years of age) should provide the Pinstripes with some comfort knowing that not every game will need to be decided by a home run.

 

Louis Musto is a contributor to the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.