Having gone to Catholic School and surviving the vicious onslaughts of several really mean nuns, nothing used to strike fear in my heart more than report card time. Just this once, I'd like to summon Sister Helena back from the afterlife to personally deliver this year's mid-term report cards to the Yankee players.

The Infield:

Alex Rodriguez: The Best player in baseball is having one of his finest seasons. Without him, the Yanks could actually be in last place. With runners in scoring position and 2 out, he's hitting .350/.447/.900, based on 14 for 40. He also leads he team with 42 Runs Created Above Average. The next highest Yankee is Jeter with 14. A +

Derek Jeter: The captain continues to amaze offensively. His .336 average at the break is 3rd highest in the league. He is comfortable hitting anyplace in the order and his numbers with RISP and 2 outs is an incredible .543/.540/.686, based on 19 for 35. As long as he is at shortstop, however, he can not receive an A grade. His .763 Zone Rating is dead last among American League Shortstops. As poetic as that patented Jeter pirouette move is on balls to his right, those are plays that other shortstops often make without the flair. His range to his left on grounders is Balboni-esque. Move the Captain to first and he gets an A. Until then: B +


Robinson Cano: Is he better than he has shown in the first half? Or will he go the way of Angel Berroa and disappear because he lacks the desire and concentration necessary to build a competent major league career? There is no way to answer that right now. But one thing is certain: If he doesn’t develop more plate discipline, he will need to hit consistently at .320 or higher just to sport an average OBP. His -10 RCAA is the worst on the team. His occasional attention-deficit disorder belies his defensive talent.
C -

Doug Mientkiewicz: Pretty much what we thought. Good field, no hit. He was actually getting somewhat hot at the plate when he was injured. Should be back by August. C -

Miguel Cairo: A team with this payroll is playing Miguel Cairo at 1st base. No further discussion necessary. D +

AAAAndy Philips: One of the nicest guys in the world is getting a chance. He’s easy to root for, but most likely is not the long-term answer. Still, that small sample size BA at .316 looks pretty. INC

The Outfield:

Hideki Matsui: Steady as they come. He is on pace for about 20 HR and 100RBIs. He has slowed in left and should really be the DH. But Matsui is not one of the problems on this team. B

Melky Cabrera: He has recovered nicely after a slow start, despite his horrific 5 K performance last Saturday. His outfield defense is above average. His rifle arm is not as apparent in center as it would be in right, but he covers twice as much ground as Damon. He is learning plate discipline and he would make a fine 4th outfielder for a contender: B- / C+

Bobby Abreu: So, the Philly fans weren’t wrong after all. Abreu has had a lot of stops and starts this year. But the bottom line is that his .264 batting average is coming with very little power. A .370 slugging percentage doesn’t get it done for right field. Defensively, he is comical when he gets within 10 feet of the wall. You won’t see him in pinstripes next year. C-

Johnny Damon: One of Cashman’s many follies. The litany of injuries that he has suffered this year suggests his body is simply breaking down under the stress of all those years in centerfield. His leg cramps prevent him from playing the outfield on a regular basis, so he is a sometimes DH with no power. What’s more, the Yanks are stuck with him for two more years after this. D

Catching:

Jorge Posada: Keeps getting better with age. 14 RCAA. .330/.399/.511 at the break. A ridiculous .643/.563/.857 with the bases loaded based on 9 for 14. He been a true bright spot for the Yanks in the clubhouse too as he has been the most vocal about challenging teammates. Only downside: he is not throwing out runners as much as in previous years. A

Wil Nieves: One of the worst hitting catchers in baseball history. This is the best the Yanks can do? Below is a list of the worst hitting catchers by batting average since 1900. (At least 125 plate appearances): And I really don't want to hear about "small sample size." Would you really want the Nieves sample size to get any larger? F

CAREER*

MODERN (1900-)

BATTING AVG
1 Al Pardo .132
2 John Butler .134
3 Wil Nieves .144
4 Tom Doran .145
5 Frank Crossin .147
6 Jim Campanis .147
7 Charlie Armbruster .149
8 Billy Holm .156
9 Steve Korcheck .159
10 Dick Gossett .159

Here is where the Yanks stand for RCAA at the break:*

YANKEES
Alex Rodriguez 42
Derek Jeter 14
Jorge Posada 14
Jason Giambi 5
Hideki Matsui 3
Chris Basak 0
Kevin Thompson 0
Andy Phillips -1
Johnny Damon -3
Josh Phelps -5
Miguel Cairo -6
Melky Cabrera -7
Doug Mientkiewicz -8
Wil Nieves -8
Bobby Abreu -9
Robinson Cano -10

*Courtesy of Lee Sinins’ Complete Baseball Encyclopedia


Starting Pitching:

Chien-Ming Wang: The Ace of the Staff. His one bugaboo, lack of strikeouts, has improved from 3.14K/9 last year to 4.14K/9 in 2007. He shows tremendous presence on the mound and batters seldom hit the ball hard off of him. A double-play machine. Leads the Yanks with 13 Runs Saved Above Average. A

Roger Clemens: The Rocket has pitched far better than his 2-3 record suggests. His last two games have been gems. His K/BB ratio is 3:1. He is poised for a good second half. B

Andy Pettitte: Had a fantastic start and could have had three or four more wins if it weren’t for poor run support and a shotty bullpen. However, he’s been horrible in his last two starts going into the break with 16ERs in his last 6.2 innings. Rumors persists that Andy is tipping his pitches, but it’s hard to believe the Yanks wouldn’t figure that out. With the return to the A.L, Andy’s K/9 ratio has fallen from 7.47 to 4.97. C +

Mike Mussina: Fussy Mike’s velocity is gone. His K/9 ratio had dropped from 7.85 to 5.65 per 9, but he smart enough to keep the hitters guessing with his wide assortment of pitches. Still, he’s really only an average pitcher at this point. C

Kei Igawa: (See Cashman, Folly.) F

Phil Hughes: The real deal is due back in August. His return will be a 2nd half highlight. Will be a cornerstone of a strong starting staff by 2009, along with Wang, Chamberlain, Kennedy and perhaps Smith. INC

The Relievers:

Mariano Rivera: Has been nearly flawless since he’s been getting more regular work. ERA has come steadily down since first month woes. Primed for a solid second half. B

Scott Proctor: Ever since he set his equipment ablaze, this fireman has been scorching with 6 IPs 7Ks, 2 BB, 1 H and 0ER since the “incident.” Has appeared in 45 games so far, as Torre continues to burn him out. B –

Luis Vizcaino: Starting to settle down after a horrible start. Has entered Torre’s circle of trust with solid outings over his last ten games. Still has more walks that strikeouts, a real problem in general for the Yankee bullpen. C –

Mike Myers: The 2.61 ERA is very good, but misleading. Myers’ primary purpose on this team is to get out lefties. This year lefties are 15 for 53 against him, for .321/.397/.453. Here comes Sister Helena with a ruler, Mike. C -

Brain Bruney: Throws hard, but walks too many, (9 BB in last 8 IPs; 25 in 38 IPs for season) Has fallen out of Torre’s circle of trust. Maybe the Yanks’ are figuring out why Arizona released him? D +

Kyle Farnsworth: Can’t pitch back-to-back days. Can’t go more than one inning. Can’t retire the side in order. Can’t control his speed. Throws teammates and manager under the bus. May not be a Yankee by July 31. F

Edwar Rameriz: The youngster has been dubbed “El Cambio” by Steve Lombardi over at www.waswatching.com. That’s Spanish for “The Change.” He put up insane minor league numbers after perfecting that change and electrified the crowd in his Major League Debut by striking out the side. May be very fun to watch in the 2nd half. INC.

Ron Villone: Has pitched well in mop-up duty since being called up. INC

Here is where the Yanks stand for RSAA at the break:*


YANKEES
Chien-Ming Wang 13
Brian Bruney 9
Mike Myers 7
Andy Pettitte 6
Scott Proctor 6
Roger Clemens 5
Mariano Rivera 4
Ron Villone 3
Chris Britton 2
Phil Hughes 2
Darrell Rasner 2
Kyle Farnsworth 1
Mike Mussina 1
Sean Henn 0
Carl Pavano 0
Edwar Ramirez 0
Luis Vizcaino -1
Colter Bean -2
Matt DeSalvo -3
Chase Wright -3
Tyler Clippard -5
Jeff Karstens -5
Kei Igawa -12

*Courtesy of Lee Sinins’ Complete Baseball Encyclopedia

 

Phil is a staff writer for NYYFans.com, and he writes a weekly column for the website of WCBS News Radio 88, the home of the Yankees. You can reach him at PhilAllard27(at)hotmail.com.