All-Decade Yankees Infield
Robinson Cano, Second Base
- 4x All-Star
- 4x Silver Slugger
- 2x Gold Glove
Before leaving to play for the Seattle Mariners, it was thought that Robinson Cano might become the next Yankee captain. His defensive ability and consistent elite hitting easily made him the best player on the team for the better part of his four seasons with the Yankees in the 2010s.
In those four seasons (2010-2013), Cano hit .312 with a .906 OPS. It led to the richest contract for a second baseman in MLB history, $240M over 10 years from the Mariners.
Alex Rodriguez, Third Base
- 2x All-Star
In his time in New York, Alex Rodriguez was an enigma. There was no denying that he was at a time the greatest player in baseball. However, he just couldn’t get enough attention and struggled in postseason play, making Yankees fans despise him at times.
At the end of the day, however, he wrote the textbook on redeeming oneself in a big way. After suing MLB and the Yankees during the BIogenisis scandal, Rodriguez was suspended for one season. Upon returning, though, it was all love for the all-time great.
Since his departure, like first base, the Yanks have struggled to find a third baseman. If Miguel Andujar can improve defensively, he could take over for a significant time period. We’ll have to wait and see if that will be the case, however.
Didi Gregorius, Shortstop
I really wanted to put Derek Jeter as the All-Decade shortstop for the New York Yankees, but I just couldn’t. The fact of the matter is, during the 2010s, Didi Gregorius (16.2 fWAR) was just better for the Yanks than Jeter (7.5 fWAR) was, especially defensively.
Ahead of the 2020 season, Gregorius is an unrestricted free agent, leaving his future with the Yanks unclear. Hopefully, he can return and cement his legacy as a member of the Yankees.