Top 10 spring training New York Yankees players!

New York Yankees, Brett Gardner
Sep 22, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner (11) round the bees after hitting a three-run homerun during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, it is still early in this spring training, and these results will change, but these are my top ten New York Yankees performers, both pitchers, and position players.  To meet my criteria, a pitcher had to pitch in at least two games, and at least three innings pitched.  For position players to be considered that had to play in at least 4 games, and have had at least 5 at-bats.

WHIP is a measure of how well a pitcher keeps players off the bases.  The lower the figure, the better.  It is a commonly used measure of a pitcher’s performance.

OPS is a combination of on-base percentage and slugging percentage and the sum thereof to determine how well a hitter can reach base, with how well he can hit for average and for power.  The higher the number, the better.  It is more accurate than just the batting average.

These are my top ten Yankee players in no particular order:

Gerrit Cole (P):  The New York Yankees new ace Gerrit Cole has pitched in two games so far for a total of 3.1 innings.  He has allowed 2 hits and has gotten 4 strikeouts with a WHIP of 0.82.  The Yankees are hoping Cole can have a season eclipsing his last season with the Houston Astros. Cole’s ERA in the spring is 0.00.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR LATEST YANKEES PODCAST

Brooks Kriske (P):  4g 5i 0.50 2.25  Kriske is a right-hander from southern Califonia, and the 26-year-old has been with the Yankees since he was drafted in 2016. Last year he worked his way up from Tampa to the Trenton Thunder, where he had an ERA of 2.59. In spring training, he has been in 4 games for 5 innings of work, with an ERA of 2.25 and a 0.50 WHIP.

Jonathan Loaisiga (P): 2g 3i 0.00  Loaisiga is not a stranger to Yankees fans having made appearances at the Stadium during the last season.  Last year as a starter, he was 2-2 in 4 games started with an ERA of 4.55.  So far this spring, he has pitched in two games for a total of 3 innings.  He has an ERA and WHIP of 0.00.

Jordan Montgomery (P): 2 4 .050 Jordan Montgomery is coming back this year from Tommy John surgery.  With injuries to James Paxton and Luis Severino, he will probably be the Yankees fourth starter.  In 2017 in 29 games, he was 9-7 with an ERA of 3.88.  This spring he has pitched in 2 games for 2 innings each, and he has a WHIP of .050

J.A. Happ (P): 2 5 .040 1.80 Happ was held over from last year to pitch fifth in the rotation, but now with two injuries, he has moved up to the number 3 starter.  The Yankees need him to be the pitcher he was in 2018 when he went 7-0 for the Yankees.  So far this season, he seems to be on that track.  He has pitched 5 innings in two games; he has a 1.80 ERA but a tiny WHIP of 0.40, which is encouraging.

Kellin Deglan (C):  5 5 1.400 1  Keglan has been a nice surprise.  Deglan was drafted in 2010 by the Rangers.  He has been with the Yankee organization since 2018.  Last year the 27-year-old catcher caught for the Trenton Thunder and Scranton Wilkes/Barre Rail Riders.  He had a batting average of .228.  This year he has caught in 5 games for a total of five innings.  His OPS is 1.400, with one run driven in.

Chris Iannetta (C): 4 9 1.414  Chris Iannetta is another catcher that the New York Yankees acquired from Colorado as a backup for Kyle Higashioka.  Iannetta is a veteran that has been catching for fourteen years, mostly for Colorado and the Angels.  The year he has had 9 at-bats in 4 games.  The 36-year-old so far has an average of .556 and an OPS of 1.414, which leads the club among eligible players.

Clint Frazier (OF):  Clint Frazier, who is trying to make a big impression so that he can remain in the majors as an everyday player. Last year he batted .267 but fell short in his defense in the field, something he has worked on to improve.  The Yankees would like his quick bat at the plate.   Frazier has made 10 plate appearances in 5 games this spring training.  The now 25-year-old has a very respectable .300 average and a 1.229 OPS. He also has 2 RBI’s

Rosell Herrera (OF): Herrera has been nothing short of amazing so far in spring training.  Manager Aaron Boone has had high praise for the utility player.  He has been tearing it up on the field and at the plate.  Boone wanted to see more of him has allowed him to play in all but one game for a total of 14 plate appearances.  His OPS is impressive at 1.214 and a batting average of .500 (7 for 14).  Herrera can play all outfield positions, second and third base.  Herrera also has the most RBI’s (4) of any Yankee player.

Brett Gardner (CF):   After signing a new contract, it’s no surprise that the Yankee Veteran of 12 years is on this list, after having one of the best years of his career last year.  Brett has been in 4 games for 6 plate appearances.  He has 2 RBI’s and an OPS of 1.100. Gardner will be the everyday centerfielder for the Yankees at least until the return of Aaron Hicks.

To summarize, the pitcher with the best WHIP on the list is Jonathan Loaisga, and the position player with the best OPS of this young spring training season is catcher Chris Iannetta.  To this writer, it appears the Yankees will have a great depth of capable players for all positions.  This should be a very exciting year for the New York Yankees organization and the Yankee fans.

Mentioned in this article:

More about: