He is no longer a 40-40 man or even a .300 hitter, but Alex Rodriguez should provide the New York Yankees with a solid season in 2015. With speculation and anymosity surrounding him since he sat out the entire 2014 season while on suspension for PED and obstruction of the investigation, Rodriguez knows that he must produce or the media, especially the New York media, will tear him to shreds.
So far this spring, Rodriguez has produced when given the chance. He has played in 11 of the Yankees' 19 Grapefruit League games and hit .269/.367/.538 with 2 HR and 3 RBI. That .367 on-base average shows patience at the plate. One downside is the five strikeouts (19% of his at bats), but that is not excessive.
Granted, it is only Spring Training, and these are not "A-Rod" numbers of years past, but they are solid for a 40-year-old player coming back from two hip surgeries and a year off.
The mixture of cheers and boos that he received when he hit his second Spring Training home run Friday says a lot. It says that while many fans will not forgive Rodriguez, many more will at least give him another chance -- as long as he produces.
Note that this home run and the fans' reaction that accompanied it occurred in a Yankees away game -- at the Detroit Tigers.
MLB.com's Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch quoted the Yankee/DH third baseman discussing his solid start to the pre-season. Rodriguez is somewhat surprised himself that he his hitting as well as he is, but he has humbled himself about it. He also said that consistency is the key factor. Said Rodriguez,
"That's a good sign. I laugh when people say, 'You can't hit a ball in the mid-90s.' I couldn't hit it in my prime when I was 28, certainly not consistently. When a guy's throwing 95, 96 and he's spotting, maybe Mike Trout or some of those great young superstars can hit it, but not me.... [It is surprising] That I hit that ball today, that way. And that it went over. I thought it was going to be a long single."
Earlier in the week, Rodriguez spoke with YES Network's Jack Curry discussing his progress through then 20 Spring Training at bats.
Rodriguez will likely play in approximately 130 games if he stays healthy. Chase Headley is a very good third baseman, and the Yankees have a plethora of players who will likely rotate through the designated hitter's position. Mark Teixeira and Garret Jones will handle first base. Rodriguez, though, will probably get the majority of his at bats as a DH.
It is far too early to assume, but if he were to maintain his current pace through 130 games, then Rodriguez would hit approximately 24 home runs, passing Willie Mays on the all-time list early in the season. He should also have more men on in front of him to drive in. Again, though, that is a huge if.
Rodriguez may not play like A-Rod anymore, but a .269, 24 home-run season would serve him and the Yankees very well. It would not justify a $22-million salary, but many players would like to have a season like that. He also has a manager in Joe Girardi that knows how to use players in situations to get the best from them. The keys, though, for Rodriguez are health and consistency.