Baseball Press dissects each MLB team - which players from your favorite MLB team you should draft for your fantasy team, what performance you're going to get from these players, and which players to stay away from. Whether you root for the Yankees or the Nationals, whether you buy Fenway Franks or Dodger Dogs, whether you believe in the Phanatic or the Rally Monkey, Baseball Press has your team in its sights.
The New York Yankees returned to their winning ways during the 2009 season. The Bronx Bombers gave fans everything they wanted last season from a brand new cathedral of a stadium to a World Series title. During the off-season in 2008, the Yanks showed no limits as they signed virtually every "big-name" free agent sticking to their mentality "we don't rebuild, we reload". The 2009 off-season was no different as they were able to acquire another handful of stars, but also lost some key free agents that led them to their 27th World Series title. Let's face it, the Yankees are loaded with fantasy talent and most of the team will be drafted, but let's focus on some other fantasy players not named Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia.
Hitters
Brett Gardner - OF
Gardner's playing time increases significantly with the departure of Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera. The speedy outfielder looks to shift from center field to left field with the recently acquired Curtis Granderson (see below) coming over from Detroit. Gardner appeared in 108 games last season and managed a respectable .270 AVG along with 26 stolen bases while splitting time with Melky and Damon in the outfield, but missed time after the all star break with a thumb injury. Gardner is primarily a ground ball and line driver hitter, so looking to him as a power option is irrelevant. However, he has a solid approach at the plate and can draw walks making him an acceptable option in the speed department. The Yankees also recently signed Randy Winn, but he looks to be a solid option off the bench rather than a threat to Gardner's playing time.
Curtis Granderson - OF
Every fan and fantasy owner took notice of the bandbox that New Yankee Stadium became during the 2009 season. The quantity of bombs that flew out of that stadium was ridiculous and quite honestly, I may have a shot at hitting 15-20 homers (not really, but we all have dreams). When the news broke that Granderson was headed to the Bronx, fantasy owners were chomping at the bit with thoughts of Curtis as Johnny Damon 2.0. Granderson set a career high in home runs last season with 30, but saw his average sink to a dismal .249. We can attribute the low batting average to an un-lucky BABIP of .275 (career .321 BABIP), but that still doesn't make him an "elite" option in the fantasy outfield pool. Granderson has the speed skills set, but hasn't stolen 30 bases during any major league season. Along with the lack of stolen bases, Granderson also struggles something mightily against left handed pitching. He's not by any means useless in fantasy baseball, but just don't break the bank drafting him early this season.
Nick Johnson - DH
"Mr. Durability" returns to his former team in 2010, and is looking for another season without an injury. The 2009 season marked the first time since 2006 that Johnson has played in over 100 games after seeing his 2007 and 2008 seasons cut short by injuries. He's lost the power that he once had (23 HR in 2006), but Yankee Stadium could allow him to end the season with double digit numbers in the home run category. Johnson is slated to be the full time designated hitter most of the season while batting in the second hole behind SS Derek Jeter and in front of A-Rod, which will also boost his value. Most owners will avoid Nick on draft day (with reason), but he could fall to you as a reasonable late round pick.
Pitchers
Javier Vazquez - SP
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Yup, that's the mentality with Vazquez heading into the 2010 season. A career year from Vazquez last season in Atlanta, posting a 15-10 record, 2.87 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 238 strikeouts in 219.1 innings pitched. The return to the Yankees is hopefully a better one, as he posted a 14-10 record with an ugly 4.91 ERA while allowing 33 home runs during the 2004 season. The return to the American League will bring Vazquez's strikeout totals down and raise his ERA this season. On the flip side, the Yankees' lineup will give Javier a lot of run support which should give him an opportunity to win the same amount of games as last season. He's a valuable pitcher this season because of the team he plays for, but he certainly falls out of the "top tier" of guys based on the move to the AL East.
Phil Hughes - RP/SP
Hughes was spectacular as the eighth-inning setup man for closer Mariano Rivera last season, but is openly vocal about returning to the starting rotation this season. Hughes compiled a 3-2 record, 5.45 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 34.2 innings during seven starts last season. After the move to the bullpen, Hughes went 5-1, 1.40 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 51.1 innings the rest of the season. He has the makeup to be a starter featuring a mid-90's fastball along with a nasty curveball, and he's rumored to be working on improving his changeup in order to secure a spot in the rotation for 2010. There's just one problem, the Yankees are currently holding a competition for the final spot in the rotation and want Joba Chamberlain to audition as well. Joba slotted into the rotation last season and was far from pitching to his talent. Chamberlain sent mixed signals most of last season until finally owners finally had enough, and viewed him as a low-end option in mixed leagues. Both pitchers can rack up high K/9 ratios, but deciding on which one to draft will require an observant eye during spring training. For that reason, both pitchers' ADP will remain low during drafts until a decision is made. Either way, both are certainly worth owning in AL-only leagues with the winner of the fifth spot in the rotation holding the most value in mixed leagues.
David Robertson - RP
Quick, name the reliever that led the American League in K/9 in 2009. If you answered David Robertson, congratulations, if not, well that's ok too (13.0 K/9). Robertson usually ends up pitching during the middle innings and can be a cheap source of strikeouts and holds. For a guy who has a high strikeout to innings pitched ratio, he struggles with command and that leads to a high ERA. Hopefully you've read our piece on the ugly business of bullpens and can find value where needed with Robertson.
The Yankees look to defend their title this season, and certainly have all the weapons in place to repeat as World Series champions. The team certainly has all the tools to make a run as back-to-back champs, but will this be the year the age factor finally comes into play?