Yankees 2012: Why Robinson Cano Should Bat Cleanup in 2012

Joe Girardi decided to shake up the lineup of the New York Yankees at the end of last season.  The new lineup had Robinson Cano switching spots with Mark Teixeira and hitting third.

I am aware that the best hitter on the team is supposed to bat third however Cano batting fourth will be more beneficial for the Yankees. 

I think this move was a better move but I do not think it was the best move.  Robinson Cano has become the best hitter in New York and one of the best hitters and players in Major League Baseball.  In order for the Yankees to utilize their best hitter in the lineup, he must be hitting cleanup for them this coming season.

Better Protection for A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez has been one of the greatest baseball players of all time.  Over the past couple of seasons he has been hit with the injury bug and every time he seemed to get in a groove and look like the Alex Rodriguez of old he would get hurt.

Many will argue that the most important hitter for the Yankees to succeed is Alex Rodriguez.  If Cano bats third, Alex Rodriguez fourth and Tex fifth, the person obviously offering protection for Alex would be Teixeira.  However if you bat A-Rod third and Cano fourth, you have Cano (the best hitter on the team) offering better protection for him.

Cano Doesn't Need Protection

If the 2010 and 2011 seasons have taught us anything about Robinson Cano, it is that he doesn't need protection.  He has hit fifth the past two seasons and had back-to-back MVP caliber seasons.

It is more important for Alex Rodriguez to have Cano hitting behind him then it is for Robby to have A-Rod behind him.

Teixeira Is Still an Offensive Force

Mark Teixeira proved last year that he is still one of the most consistent power hitters in the game.  While his batting average has been down in recent years, his power numbers are still where they should be.  The fifth hitter in the lineup's primary role is to hit for power and drive in runs.  Mark Teixeira specializes in hitting for power and driving in runs.

With Mark Teixeira hitting behind Robinson Cano, Cano will have more than enough protection and see enough pitches to have yet again another MVP-type season.  If people want to pitch around Cano, Marky Mark will teach them quickly that it is not a good idea.

Makes the Lineup More of a Match Up Nightmare

Plain and simple, with Robinson Cano hitting fourth as opposed to hitting third, mixes the Yankees lineup up with left-handed and right-handed hitters better.  This makes it harder for teams to mix and match with relievers.

Yankees Lineup With Cano Hitting Third:

Jeter (righty), Granderson (lefty), Cano (lefty), Rodriguez (righty), Teixeira (switch), Swisher (switch), Montero (righty), Martin (righty), Gardner (lefty)

Yankees Lineup With Cano Hitting Fourth:

Jeter (righty), Granderson (lefty), Rodriguez (righty), Cano (lefty), Teixeira (switch), Swisher (switch), Montero (righty), Martin (righty), Gardner (lefty)

Cano's Power Is Increasing as He Is Reaching His Prime

Robinson Cano's power numbers have been steadily increasing as he begins to enter his prime years.  Cano has probably the smoothest swing in baseball and that swing is starting to translate into power.

Since 2008, Cano's RBI totals have increased each year.  His home runs have also increased as he has flirted with 30 big flies for the past two seasons.  Cano is poised to finally eclipse the 30 home run mark this year and continue to have his RBI numbers increase.  He just turned 29 years old in October and these are the years in which Cano will be in his prime.

Splits Up A-Rod and Tex

If Alex Rodriguez is truly on the decline and fails to return to his MVP form,  and Mark Teixeira continues to be a dead pull hitter and continues to struggle batting average wise, Cano batting fourth would split these two up.

In the playoff series against the Detroit Tigers the Yankees struggled to get the "big" hit.  The two players who struggled the most in the series (not including Swisher) was A-Rod and Tex.  It was getting frustrating watching Alex Rodriguez batting cleanup, failing to get a hit, and then Teixeira followed this failure with his own failure.  Cano batting fourth splits up A-Rod and Tex so we do not continue to see back to back outs if their struggles continue.

Robby's Numbers When Batting Fourth

Alex Rodriguez's injuries opened the door and gave everyone a chance to see Robinson Cano bat fourth.  From the sample that Cano gave us when batting cleanup, we can see that he can more than handle it.  

Robinson's numbers when hitting fourth were better than when he was hitting in any other spot in the lineup.

Robinson Cano's stats based on spot in order:

Batting Average

Third: .296

Fourth: .315

Fifth: .298

At-Bats Per Home Run

Third: Home Run every 27 At-Bats

Fourth: Home Run every 21.5 At-Bats

Fifth: Home Run every 23.5 At-Bats

At-Bats Per RBI

Third: RBI every 5.4 At-Bats

Fourth: RBI every 4.58 At-Bats

Fifth: RBI every 5.53 At-Bats