Ramiro Pena Won't Be Taking Derek Jeter's Job Anytime Soon

Ramiro Pena has done such a good job opening eyes this spring that he is one of the final 30 remaining players at the Yankees major league camp.

He has opened some eyes and should be the leading candidate over Angel Berroa to be on the opening day roster as the Yankees' utility man.

But please, try to not listen to Bill Madden and start thinking that he is threatening to take Derek Jeter’s job. Sure, Pena has a pretty slick glove, and has even done well with his bat this spring, but most people realize that spring training stats don’t a career make.

Here is what Madden had to say:

“Fact is, Pena has always demonstrated world class defense since being signed by the Yankees out of Mexico in 2005, but his improvement with the bat is what’s elevated him to legitimate major league prospect status.”

Then he goes on to quote some unnamed source, maybe his niece, who says that Pena is a great young shortstop and a future starter at the position.

Madden blows off Pena’s 2008 batting average of .266 as recovering from surgery. He never takes a second look at any of his other numbers and automatically wants us to assume he’s the “real deal.”

The real story is that Pena does have a decent glove, but nobody should believe that a guy with 1,258 career minor league at bats with an average OPS of .635 is ready to break out. No matter how many surgeries the guy is recovering from, it’s just not going to happen.

I’m not trying to bash Pena here. I really don’t want to do that and I hope the Yankees do carry him as the extra infielder. I just would rather that nobody even consider that maybe next year, or even two years from now, Pena will get called up and start hitting.

Even if Madden’s niece is correct and Pena could be a starting shortstop, it would probably only be for his defense and, more than likely not, with the Yankees. Not this year, not next year.

Ramiro Pena’s career minor league stats.