MLB Spring Training 2012: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Yankees Camp

Opening Day technically already happened when the Mariners took on the Athletics in Japan, Opening Day here in the states is just a week away.

Spring Training has been fun and all, but it's time to get the season started.

Most position battles are decided at this point in March, and the rosters have already been trimmed down to a manageable size.

Pitchers are throwing 80+ pitches, and batters are staying in games for 6+ innings.

It's time.

The Yankees went into Spring Training with very few decisions to make.

The only real decisions had to do with the final spot in the bullpen and the final three spots in the rotation.

Spring Training generally doesn't mean much in terms of the regular season, but there was a lot to digest from Yankees camp. Many players performed to their usual standards, while some surprised us and played great baseball.

Some were just plain bad and others were, well, horrific.

The Good: Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez has had a great Spring Training thus far and with only a week left, the Yankees should be confident that he is healthy and ready for action.

So far he has recorded a line of .300/.404/.550 with two home runs and nine RBI in 40 at-bats.

Many believe that the orthokine treatment he underwent earlier this off-season will help to keep him healthy over the course of the 2012 season. His hot spring is definitely helping to reinforce that belief.

We have to keep in mind, though, that Rodriguez had an even hotter spring in 2011, a season that resulted in him playing just 99 games.. He hit .388/.444/.898 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 49 at-bats.

Hopefully he won't give us a repeat performance of last season.

The Good: Justin Maxwell

Good thing Justin Maxwell had a hot spring, as he is out of minor league options and the Yankees now have several routes they can go with him.

It's unlikely that he'll make the Opening Day roster (even though he's earned it), so the team can either grant him his release or hope that his hot spring has caught the attention of other teams.

Maxwell could be a nice player for teams looking to add outfield depth. He has a ton of potential, and it's unfortunate that there's no room on the roster for him.

So far this spring, Maxwell is hitting .333/.400/.472 with eight RBI and four steals in 36 at-bats.

The Good: Doug Bernier

At 31 years old, we can no longer call Doug Bernier a prospect.

The only time Bernier saw time at the major league level was in a two-game stint with the Rockies. He failed to record a hit in four at-bats.

After two consecutive atrocious springs—he recorded batting averages of .091 and .059, respectively—Bernier has caught the attention of many in the organization this March.

He is hitting .357/.419/.500 with four doubles and five RBI in 28 at-bats thus far.

He's nothing more than organizational depth at this point in his career, but he may earn himself a September call-up if he can hit at a similar level at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Good: Clay Rapada

The Yankees picked up Clay Rapada on the cheap this off-season to compete with fellow left-hander Cesar Cabral this spring.

He's thrown incredibly well this spring, as he's arguably been the best Yankee reliever.

In 8.1 innings thus far, Rapada has yet to allow a run. He has struck out 11 batters, while allowing just three hits and walking three. Opponents are hitting .107 against him.

Rapada is your prototypical lefty specialist, as he's had trouble getting out right handed batters in the past. Last season with Baltimore, righties hit .692 against him.

That alarming number may be the only thing standing between Rapada and a spot on the Opening Day roster.

The Good: Cesar Cabral

Rapada may have outperformed Cesar Cabral so far this spring, but that doesn't mean that Cabral has pitched badly.

On the contrary, actually—Cabral has been very solid.

Even though opponents are hitting .262 against him, Cabral has limited the damage. His ERA is only 1.74 in 10.1 innings.

He has struck out 12 and walked only two.

The Yankees will likely have Cabral break camp with the team, as he will have to be returned to the Royals because he is a product of the Rule-5 draft.

If he falters at any point this season, look for Rapada to take his place.

The Good: Phil Hughes

Phil Hughes was one of the four aforementioned starters vying for a spot in the starting rotation.

I say "was" because his performance has all but guaranteed him one of the spots.

So far this spring, Hughes has posted a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 innings. Opponents are hitting just .220 against him.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio has been good, walking only two compared to eight strikeouts.

The best thing this spring about Hughes is that he has shown no signs of being hampered by the dead arm that sidelined him for much of the 2011 season.

Look for Hughes to return to his 2010 form if he can stay healthy.

The Bad: Eric Chavez

The following slides will represent players that have had a pretty tough go of it this spring, but in no way should their springs be considered failures.

Eric Chavez fits perfectly into that mold.

In 34 at-bats, Chavez has put together a line of .235/.257/.294 with two doubles and four RBI. He has struck out seven times.

Although Chavez's spring hasn't been the greatest, he's pretty much assured a spot on the Opening Day roster as the team's backup corner infielder.

Actually, this kind of production is what fans should be expecting of him in 2012, as he is no longer the perennial .270 hitter that he used to be.

The Bad: Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner has been getting on base at a pretty good clip this spring (.320), but his batting average of .227 has left much to be desired.

In 44 at-bats, he's struck out nine times while recording just 10 hits and one RBI. He is one double and one triple.

The biggest problem with Gardner last season was his inability to get on base consistently, and he could solve that problem if he can sprinkle in some more base hits.

He stole 49 bases in 2011 by getting on base at just a .345 clip.

Imagine if he can get that number up to about .380. We could be looking at a 60-steal season from him.

The Bad: Bill Hall

Bill Hall has posted a .212/.366/.333 line so far this spring in 33 at-bats. Out of his seven hits, he has hit one home run and one double. He has driven-in four.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will be his likely destination following Spring Training, as he is pretty much organizational depth at this point in his career.

If Eduardo Nunez gets injured at any point during the season, however, Hall will likely get the call.

His .366 on-base percentage is pretty impressive, but his 11 strikeouts and .212 batting average is not.

The Bad: Robinson Cano

Don't worry Yankee fans, Robinson Cano will be back at demolishing opposing pitchers shortly.

He's just had a rough spring.

In 49 at-bats, Cano has hit just .204/.231/.347 with a home run and 10 RBI. He's also stroked four doubles.

He has walked just twice compared to eight strikeouts in typical Cano fashion.

Like I said; don't worry Yankee fans. Cano will be just fine.

The Bad: CC Sabathia

Here's another guy we probably shouldn't worry about, even with the not-so-good stats he's posted thus far in Spring Training.

Through 14 innings, Sabathia's ERA currently sits at 4.50. Opponents are hitting .298 against him and his WHIP is 1.36.

He's never really had good Spring Training lines as a member of the Yankees, though, so there's no reason to believe that his struggles will carry over into the regular season.

He'll be back to his Cy Young caliber ways soon.

The Bad: Michael Pineda

Michael Pineda's 3.31 ERA is good, but the fact that opponents are hitting .283 against him is not.

Throw in the fact that he has a WHIP of 1.47—a direct result of his seven walks issued in 16.1 innings—and he's really lucky that he's been able to limit the damage.

Pineda's velocity and weight have made more headlines than his actual pitching, so he better get his act together if he wants to be a successful Yankee.

There have been talks of him starting the season at Triple-A and, quite frankly, it might not be such a bad idea.

If he can go down and work on his game a little more, the Yankees could be calling up an All-Star caliber pitcher at some point during the 2012 season.

The Ugly: Raul Ibanez

The following six players have all been major disappointments so far this spring.

One of the most disappointing—and the one that is probably worrying the Yankees the most—is Raul Ibanez.

In 48 at-bats this spring, Ibanez has produced a line of .125/.176/.271 with two home runs and six RBI. He also has a double.

With three walks and 11 strikeouts, it seems as if he's had problems with his pitch selection thus far.

Hopefully he gets the fixed, and fast, because the last thing the Yankees need is an automatic out in their lineup during the regular season.

The Ugly: Francisco Cervelli

Francisco Cervelli is lucky that Austin Romine has been suffering from a nagging back injury, because he probably wouldn't be in line to make the Opening Day roster if Romine were healthy.

Sure, Cervelli will be on the team for his defense and not his offense, but the line he's produced is pitiful.

At .167/.225/.222, Cervelli better be playing stellar defense to stay with the big club this season.

He's struck out eight times in 36 at-bats, while tallying just six hits. Two of those hits went for doubles.

If Romine comes back healthy and Cervelli continues to struggle, look for a change to be made.

The Ugly: Jorge Vazquez

Last spring, Jorge Vazquez was absolutely unstoppable.

This spring, he's literally been the exact opposite.

In 22 at-bats, Vazquez recorded a line of .091/.200/.136 with just two RBI. He struck out six times and walked once. One of his two hits went for a double.

Vazquez had a chance at being a part of the Yankees' designated hitter mix before they signed Ibanez, but he hasn't produced enough to even be considered.

Now it's being rumored that Vazquez has told the Yankees that he either wants to be called up or traded away.

Looks like he won't be a Yankee for much longer.

The Ugly: Cory Wade

Cory Wade had a spectacular regular season in 2011, pitching to a 2.04 ERA and winning six games.

That performance earned him a new contract with the Yankees, as well as an almost guaranteed spot in the bullpen.

Unless Manager Joe Girardi chooses to carry three lefties (Boone Logan, Rapada and Cabral), which is extremely unlikely, Wade will be a member of the bullpen.

So far this spring, though, he has pitched terribly.

In 8.2 innings, Wade's ERA sits at 7.27. He's allowed 14 hits, one of which was a home run. Opponents are hitting .378 against him.

The Yankees are hoping that he can return to his 2011 form.

The Ugly: Ivan Nova

Ivan Nova has been straight-up awful this spring.

After going 16-4 last season, many expected him to be a lock for a spot in the rotation—despite Girardi's comments that only Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda were locks.

With his performance this March, though, Nova may have earned himself a trip to Triple-A.

He currently spots a 6.86 ERA in 19.2 innings. He's served up five home runs and opponents are hitting .280 against him.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio remains excellent, however, as he's struck out 14 and walked just one.

Nova can only hope that the team decides to send down Pineda for some more seasoning. If they decide otherwise, Nova will find himself in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Ugly: Manny Banuelos

The Yankees top pitching prospect has shown no signs of progression so far this spring.

After a 2.13 ERA last Spring Training, Manny Banuelos's ERA has ballooned to 7.20. Granted, he only threw in five innings.

His one-to-one ratio of strikeouts-to-walks is unacceptable, as is his 2.00 WHIP.

Banuelos remains the team's top pitching prospect—and arguably the team's best overall—and has a shot at pitching in the majors at some point this season.

If he keeps pitching like this, though, it will be awhile before he sees time with the big club.