Yankees Emeritus
Brett Gardner is the longest tenured home grown Yankee and beloved by his teammates. The fans are not quite so enamored.
Gardy is of course respected throughout Yankees universe for heart and hustle, but he has too often under-deployed his best asset, speed. And although he seems to have all the parts to be a prototypical lead-off hitter, the sum has never added up to great success.
That his career OBP is only .347 solves at least part of the equation.
Remember that the need for a true lead-off hitter is why the Yankees paid such a premium price four years ago for Jacoby Ellsbury. And they still need one today.
That doesn’t mean Gardy will not lead off some times, perhaps most; that, however, just underscores the problem. Last year Brett off-set some of his shortcomings by smacking a career-high 21 homers. But he hit just seven the year before and is probably going to hit somewhere between the two this year.
It is, however, his ability to work counts that has continued to put him in the top spot against most righties. That, and his speed once he is on. Tyler Wade, however, might be about to change that.
With Bird down, Wade might see his name in the line-up more than the Yankees thought. And if he can keep his OBP anywhere around .375, he will bring his even faster feet to the top of the order. His Spring Training on-base of .404 is encouraging, but it is still just ST.
The more pertinent number is the .222 OBP he put up last year with the Yanks.
But he’s not the only speedy player who can bat against righties; and Aaron Hicks can bat against lefties, as well.