Position by Position: Where the Yankees Rank in the AL East

The Yankees won 97 games last season in a very tough AL East. They were able to outlast the Rays and Red Sox and win the division by a comfortable six game margin.

Despite a shaky rotation consisting of reclamation projects in Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, the Yankees were able to make the playoffs after being written off after a quiet off-season.

The offense scored 867 runs in 2011, second in the majors behind the Red Sox (875). Jorge Posada's departure remains the only glaring change in the Yankees lineup, but new designated hitter Raul Ibanez is expected to fill the role.

With bounce back seasons from Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, and Russell Martin (his 18 home runs were good, his .237 batting average was not), it would not out of the realm of possibility if the Yankees scored 1,000 runs next season.

The AL East is a tough division and there has not been a guaranteed preseason favorite in recent years, but here's how the Yankees stack up, position by position, with the likes of the Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays and Orioles.

Catcher

1. Matt Wieters, Orioles

2. J.P. Arencibia, Blue Jays

3. Russell Martin, Yankees

4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Red Sox

5. Jose Molina, Rays

After failing to live up to the hype for the first two seasons of his career, Matt Wieters finally proved why he was considered a top prospect in the Orioles system in 2011.

He mashed 22 home runs and drove in 68 RBI, while taking home the AL Gold Glove Award for catchers and being named to his first All-Star game.

In 2012, expect 30+ homers and 80+ RBI from the young backstop.

Despite hitting just .219 in 2011, J.P. Arencibia performed very well in his rookie season in the league. After playing in just 11 games (eight behind the plate) in 2010, Arencibia caught 122 games and threw out 24 percent of base stealers.

With 23 home runs and 78 RBI in his rookie season, Arencibia definitely has plenty of room to improve in 2012.

The Yankees would love to see Russell Martin boost his batting average in 2012, but his power numbers were right on par with his career averages in 2011. If he could get his average into the .260 range, the Yankees lineup will be dangerous.

There isn't too much room for improvement with Martin, seeing as he is 29 years old, entering his seventh season in the league. But he is as solid of an option as they come.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia posted a similar season to Martin in 2011, but Martin's track record suggests that he can be better. Saltalamacchia's, on the other hand, suggests that we may not get much more from the young backstop.

If he minimizes his strikeouts and increases his patience at the plate, the Red Sox will be content with using him as their everyday catcher.

Jose Molina is a fantastic defensive catcher. Unfortunately, he is best suited for a backup role. With Jose Lobaton being the only other catcher on the Rays' roster, Molina will see the bulk of the innings next season.

If he can hit .250 with double digit home runs in 2012, the Rays will be very satisfied. 

First Base

1. Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox

2. Mark Teixeira, Yankees

3. Adam Lind, Blue Jays

4. Carlos Pena, Rays

5. Mark Reynolds, Orioles

The AL East is full of good first basemen, but the top honor has to go to Adrian Gonzalez. He posted a ridiculous season in 2011 that saw him hit .338 with 27 home runs and 117 RBI. He also posted a .410 on base percentage.

Gonzalez had no problems adjusting to Fenway Park. Expect similar numbers from him in 2012. Don't be surprised if he hits 35+ bombs, either.

Mark Teixeira finishes a very close second to Gonzalez. Despite better home runs numbers last season, Gonzalez was a much better overall hitter.

A .248 batting average really hurts Teixeira's ranking, but he could make this race even closer at the end of the season if he raises his average into the .280 range. Regardless, Tex is one of the elite first basemen in the game.

Adam Lind may never return to his 2009 form (.305, 35, 114), but his respectable production last season is enough to rank him ahead of Carlos Pena and Mark Reynolds.

Lind and Pena will offer similar power numbers and run production, but Lind's ability to keep his batting average above .230 is key to this ranking.

Mark Reynolds rounds out the AL East first basemen. He has colossal power, but his strikeouts and low batting average are his undoing.

Second Base

1. Robinson Cano, Yankees

2. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox

3. Ben Zobrist, Rays

4. Brian Roberts, Orioles

5. Kelly Johnson, Blue Jays

Robinson Cano is arguably the best player in the entire AL East.

There, I said it.

Cano is one of the best pure hitters in the league, and he continues to get better with each season. After another solid season in 2011 (.302, 28, 118), expect Cano to challenge for the AL MVP next season.

The great second base debate will surely be had all season long, as many people around the league attempt to make unfair comparisons between Cano and Dustin Pedroia. When comparing the two players, ask yourself this: is Pedroia one of the best overall hitters in the league?

No, I'm not so sure that he is.

That being said, Pedroia is one hell of a ballplayer. He is nearly a lock every season for a .290 average with 20 home runs and 80 RBI. Expect nothing less of him in 2012.

It is a shame that Ben Zobrist is such an underrated player. He nearly went 20/20 last season (he was one stolen base shy), and smashed 46 doubles. With 91 RBI, he is also a capable run producer.

Zobrist will be an All-Star in 2012, mark my words. He won't surpass Pedroia or Cano, however.

Many fans forget that Brian Roberts is still in the game. After a slew of injuries, I can't blame the fans for forgetting. He has played in just 98 games over the past two seasons, and it is never a lock for him to be healthy during the season.

When healthy, though, he is a great second basemen.

It was pretty easy to place Kelly Johnson fifth on this list, as he is clearly not in the same league as the aforementioned players. He'll provide decent power numbers, but his high strikeouts and low power numbers can be a killer.

He's essentially a less powerful version of Mark Reynolds.

Third Base

1. Evan Longoria, Rays

2. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees

3. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox

4. Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays

5. Wilson Betemit, Orioles

This list is completely subject to change. There are many variables with third base in the AL East in 2012, like health concerns and super star comparisons.

It's unlikely that Evan Longoria will be bumped from the No. 1 spot, as he is the most complete third basemen in the division. He may have had a really down season in the batting average department last season, but he was still able to mash 31 home runs and drive in 99 runs.

If he can get his batting average back up to his career average of .274 while keeping up the power numbers, expect Longoria to receive some MVP votes at the end of the season.

Numbers three through five on this list could change in a hurry, as health concerns with Alex Rodriguez and Kevin Youkilis make them no sure locks for their usual production. 

Rodriguez is expected to bounce back this season after experimental orthokine therapy recommended to him by Kobe Bryant, but there is still no guarantee that he can play over 120 games.

Youkilis has not played in more than 145 games since 2006 (147), and he only played in 120 last season. In those 120 games, he hit just .258 with 17 homers and 80 RBI.

If top prospect Brett Lawrie can live up to the Ryan Braun comparisons, he could easily become the second best third baseman in the AL East. In just 150 at-bats last season, Lawrie hit nine home runs, drove in 25 runs and hit .293.

If he can overcome the dreaded sophomore slump, Blue Jays fans will be ecstatic with watching their young slugger grow.

Wilson Betemit falls into the same category as Kelly Johnson. He is just not in the same league as the aforementioned players.

He is a solid player, nothing more, and expecting anything more than .290, 15 and 60 wouldn't be fair. 

Shortstop

1. J.J. Hardy, Orioles

2. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays

3. Derek Jeter, Yankees

4. Mike Aviles, Red Sox

5. Sean Rodriguez, Rays

After a very good season in 2011, J.J. Hardy has earned the top spot on this list. He hit 30 home runs and drove in 80 while posting a .269 average for the Orioles, providing a reliable bat in the middle of the order.

The problem with Hardy has been consistency, and he'll obviously have to produce in 2012 to retain the top spot.

With a strong season in 2012, Yunel Escobar could very well surpass Hardy. He has always had potential, but tapping into that potential always seemed to allude him.

Last season, he began to show flashes. He hit .290 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI in 513 at-bats. A .300 average and close to 20 home runs is a possibility for Escobar, and if he reaches those marks he could become the top shortstop in the AL East.

A few seasons ago, Derek Jeter would be the unanimous choice for the top spot. Now, Jeter is just biding his time. 

He hit a very impressive .297 in 2011, albeit with just six home runs. He has become primarily a singles hitter, and that is something the Yankees will have to live with. Even if he regresses significantly in 2012, it is highly unlikely that he'll be surpassed by the likes of Mike Aviles or Sean Rodriguez.

Aviles enters the season in a platoon with Nick Punto at shortstop for the Sox, but he figures to see more of the at-bats. He hit .317 with Boston after coming over from the Royals, so the Sox seem to be comfortable with giving him most of the playing time.

If you could combine Punto and Aviles, you'd get an ideal shortstop. Unfortunately, though, the Red Sox will have to choose which they'd prefer in 2012 - offense or defense.

Sean Rodriguez enters the season as the Rays shortstop, but he could easily be replaced by Reid Brignac if he hits like he did last season. Either way, both of them would rank fifth on this list.

Right Field

1. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays

2. Nick Swisher, Yankees

3. Nick Markakis, Orioles

4. Matt Joyce, Rays

5. Ryan Sweeney, Red Sox

No brainer here. Jose Bautista is probably Cano's biggest competition for the best player in the division (honorable mention goes to Adrian Gonzalez).

Anybody with the potential to crack 45+ home runs and post a batting average near .300 deserves recognition as one of the best players in the league.

Nick Swisher and Nick Markakis could easily change places after the season, but Markakis' inconsistent run production over the past few seasons make it difficult to rank him higher than Swisher. Over the past three seasons, he has averaged just 15 home runs as one of the primary bats in the Orioles' lineup.

Swisher, on the other hand, is a very consistent regular season producer. He is lock every season for 20+ home runs and 80+ RBI, and there is no reason to believe that he won't continue that production in 2012. He would like to get his batting average up from the .260 clip he hit last season, but the Yankees will take that production in their lineup any day.

Matt Joyce was an All-Star in 2011, posting a .277 average with 19 home runs and 75 RBI at the end of the season. It was just his first full season as a regular, so it would be unfair to expect the same thing from him next season.

He could very well surpass those numbers, but we'll just have to wait and see.

After J.D. Drew's retirement and Josh Reddick's trade to the A's for closer Andrew Bailey, Ryan Sweeney became the team's right fielder by default.

He was an add-on in the Bailey trade, and he figures to play a majority of the time in right field next season. He doesn't offer much in the power category, hitting just 14 home runs in 1515 career at-bats. 

Expect the Sox to look to make an upgrade at the trade deadline.

Center Field

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox

2. Curtis Granderson, Yankees

3. Adam Jones, Orioles

4. B.J. Upton, Rays

5. Colby Rasmus, Blue Jays

Picking between Jacoby Ellsbury and Curtis Granderson was probably the most difficult choice I had to make in this entire ranking, but it's hard to argue with the complete season that Ellsbury had in 2011.

He hit 32 home runs, drove in 105 runs, stole 39 bases and hit .321. He finished second in the AL MVP voting behind Justin Verlander.

The reason he gets the top spot over Granderson is in part because of his batting average, but also because I predict that Ellsbury can keep up this level of production. It's likely that Granderson will hit 30 or more home runs next season, but it's really unlikely that he'll ever top 40 again.

At 30 home runs and 100 RBI (my predictions for Granderson next season), one would think that he and Ellsbury would be similar in ranking, however, Ellsbury offers much more in the batting average category and that is enough to give him the top spot.

The rest of the AL East center field pool is deep as well.

Adam Jones is one of the most exciting young players in the game. He hit .280 with 25 home runs and 83 RBI last season in the middle of the Orioles lineup and figures to produce at a similar clip next season.

He will be a hot commodity on the trade market next July, too.

B.J. Upton has been plagued by inconsistency throughout his career. Many thought that he would eventually turn into the player that Ellsbury has, but issues with maintaining a respectable batting average have haunted him.

Unfortunately, it may be too late for him to put it all together.

In 2010, Colby Rasmus put in a very promising season with the Cardinals. In 2011 with the Cardinals and Blue Jays, though, he regressed. His batting average, power numbers, and run production all dropped.

It will be just his fourth full season in the league, so there is plenty of time for the young center fielder to become the player many think he can be.

Left Field

1. Carl Crawford, Red Sox

2. Desmond Jennings, Rays

3. Brett Gardner, Yankees

4. Eric Thames, Blue Jays

5. Nolan Reimold, Orioles

Left field is probably the weakest position in the AL East. After Carl Crawford, the list is filled with uncertainties. Crawford is actually an uncertainty himself heading into 2012.

He had a very unproductive season in his first year with the Sox, and he hopes to get back to his usual levels of production in 2012. All signs point to last season just being a fluke for the speedy left fielder.

If Desmond Jennings can avoid the sophomore slump, he will finish the season second on this list. Given the small sample size we saw of him at the end of 2011, it is clear that he has serious potential.

In 247 at-bats, Jennings hit 10 home runs, drove in 25 runs, hit .259 and stole 20 bases. If projected over a full season, he could be a 20 home run, 50 steal candidate.

Despite hitting ninth in the lineup, Brett Gardner is the main table setter for the Yankees. When he is going getting on base, the offense just seems to fire on all cylinders. He hit just .259 last season, so the Yankees would like that number to increase into the .280 range.

Even with the low batting average, he still managed to lead the American League in steals (49) and get on base at a .345 clip.

Eric Thames played well in his rookie season in 2011, stealing much of the playing time from a struggling Travis Snider. In 362 at-bats, he hit 12 home runs and drove in 37 runs. He won't be a major run producer, and he won't steal you many bases, but Thames is a solid player.

Nolan Reimold has yet to play in more than 104 games in a season during his three-year career. Inconsistency and injuries have limited his playing time. After signing Endy Chavez this off-season, the Orioles may have a really short leash on Reimold heading into the season.

If he falters out of the gate, expect Chavez to take over in left field for the O's.

Designated Hitter

1. David Ortiz, Red Sox

2. Raul Ibanez, Yankees

3. Luke Scott, Rays

4. Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays

5. Chris Davis, Orioles

After David Ortiz, the rest of the AL East designated hitters are question marks.

With another strong season in 2011, it is safe to pencil in Ortiz for another 25+ homer season in 2012. Once again, he will be a force in the heart of the Red Sox lineup.

When Jorge Posada retired and Jesus Montero was traded, the Yankees had a gaping hole at DH. Cap room was an issue, so by dumping A.J. Burnett off to the Pirates, the team was able to wrangle enough cap room to sign Raul Ibanez.

He will be entering his 17th season in the league in 2012, but he is still a 20+ home run candidate, especially with the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium. It is unlikely that he'll play in more than 120 games however. The DH will be used a rest spot for other Yankees throughout the season, but expect Ibanez to produce in the time he is given.

Luke Scott came into his own after the Orioles acquired him from the Astros, but a down season riddled by injuries in 2011 caused the Orioles to let him walk. He signed a one-year deal with the Rays in hopes of reestablishing his value. There is no reason to believe that he won't do so.

When healthy, Scott is a lock for 20+ homers and 70+ RBI. He won't provide you much in the way of batting average (.264 career hitter) or runs scored (308 in his seven-year career), but he will be a solid bat hitting fifth or sixth in the Rays' lineup.

The emergence of Brett Lawrie left Edwin Encarnacion position-less at the end of 2011. He hit .272 with 17 home runs last season, but don't be surprised if the Blue Jays give Travis Snider a shot at DH if Encarnacion struggles out of the gate.

Chris Davis was once one of the most promising prospects in all of baseball. Now, he is a fringe player fighting for his job this Spring. The Orioles don't have many other options, so it is likely that he'll get the job.

It will be another frustrating season for him in 2012 as he strikes out a ton and hits for a low average. He is basically a poor man's Jack Cust, so expect a season like that in 2012.

Recap

As a really primitive way of ranking the top offensive teams in the AL East, here is the average positioning of each team on the previous lists:

1. Yankees, 2.22

2. Red Sox, 2.44

3. Blue Jays, 3.33

4. Rays, 3.44

5. Orioles, 3.55

This is in no way a reflection of how I believe the final standings in the division will end up, as the pitching of the Rays will surely propel them past the Jays and give them a strong shot a surpassing the Red Sox and Yankees.

The AL East is a very offense-heavy division, so pitching will be the key to the ultimate success of each team.

On the offensive end though, the Yankees seem to be the team to beat in 2012.