Grading the Yankees: Midseason Report Card

Posada is no longer the full-time starting catcher for the New York Yankees because he’s near the bottom of the league with a .189 caught stealing percentage, while Jose Molina is tops in baseball among catchers who have played at least 23 games, throwing out 48.1 percent of base stealers. 

Jorge’s GPA is so low because he’s played only 49 games this year, thanks to shoulder problems.

 

Kyle Farnsworth, RP: (1.13) Is Farnsworth actually becoming sort of reliable?  He hasn’t given up a hit or a run in his last seven appearances. 

 

Edwar Ramirez, RP: (1.12) Ramirez has worked five straight scoreless appearances to drop his ERA to 2.81 and has solidified his spot as the sixth or seventh-inning man.

 

Jose Molina, C: (1.05) I wasn’t happy when Girardi began starting Molina over Posada behind the plate, but I’m beginning to warm to the idea. The question is whether or not the improvement defensively is worth the hit the Yanks take offensively by starting Molina’s .226 average over Wilson Betemit’s .243.

If Betemit was hitting higher, I’d say no, but as long as Molina can pick up just one single or sac bunt per game, his arm has to be in the field.

However, once Damon and Matsui return, I may not be as keen on sitting one of their bats in favor of Molina’s arm.

 

Jose Veras, RP: (1.02) He’s only given up three runs since June 5 and so Girardi has given him the edge over Ramirez for the seventh-inning job.  Personally, I’d rather see either of them come in the game instead of Farnsworth.

 

LaTroy Hawkins, RP: (0.94) Hawkins has adjusted nicely to his new role as “Guy Who Only Pitches When the Team is Up or Down by At Least Five Runs.”

 

Dan Giese, SP: (0.80) His time in the rotation only lasted two starts, but he has become a major asset out of the bullpen. Giese’s versatility allows Girardi to use him as a long man or a seventh-inning type.

 

Ross Ohlendorf, RP: (0.80) Ohlendorf is terrible.

 

Wilson Betemit, IF: (0.53) Betemit’s hitting just .243, but he does have a little pop, as shown by his four homers and .411 slugging percentage. Still, he’s such a liability in the field that it’s hard to find a place for him now that Molina is playing almost every day.

 

Sidney Ponson, SP: (0.50) Two good starts, one bad one. I’ll take that from a guy the Yanks just took a flier on after Wang got hurt.

 

Ian Kennedy, SP: (0.49) Hopefully he can improve enough to have some sort of impact in September.

 

Chad Moeller, C: (0.46) I don’t understand the need to have a third catcher on the 25-man roster. Moeller’s had just seven at-bats since June 3, and he’s taking a spot away from Justin Christian or Alberto Gonzalez, who can both add some much-needed speed to the team.

 

Phil Hughes, SP: (0.42) The same holds true for Hughes and Kennedy.

 

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