Half eight in a sequence analyzing the New York Yankees
Brett Gardner was in line not simply to proceed a exceptional run of sturdiness and success within the latter stage of his profession heading into 2020, the 36-year-old can be on the cusp of some important profession milestones earlier than the common season was pushed again indefinitely by the coronavirus pandemic.
If he performs in 11 video games, Gardner would go Alex Rodriguez for 17th total in video games performed as a Yankee and he’s 37 away from transferring previous Graig Nettles.
However Gardner, the staff’s oldest place participant, hasn’t merely been compiling stats currently.
Whereas different — youthful — outfielders like Aaron Choose, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton, to not point out Jacoby Ellsbury, have had hassle staying on the sphere, Gardner is coming off a season during which he set profession highs in homers, RBIs and OPS.
And with CC Sabathia’s retirement, Gardner grew to become the longest-tenured Yankee.
Drafted within the third spherical of the newbie draft in 2005, Gardner made his MLB debut in 2008 and signed a brand new contract this offseason.
“It’s loopy, man, it truly is,’’ he stated this spring of his place because the Yankees’ elder statesman. “It’s arduous to imagine I’ve been right here so long as I've. It’s not one thing I take frivolously. It means quite a bit to me to nonetheless be right here, and I’m very comfortable to have a possibility to return again right here and try to end some unfinished enterprise.’’
And he’s not wanting too far forward.
“At this level, I’m simply sort of taking issues one 12 months at a time,’’ Gardner stated this spring. “I’ve actually all the time seemed not too far into the longer term, clearly. The contract that I signed, the Yankees have a staff possibility on me for subsequent 12 months. In an ideal world for me, I keep wholesome and have a superb season they usually decide that possibility up and I come again and do it yet again.’’
He’s already change into one in every of simply 5 gamers drafted by the Yankees with not less than 1,000 hits with the staff, becoming a member of Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. Gardner and Jeter are the one two gamers in franchise historical past with greater than 100 homers and 250 stolen bases as a Yankee.
And Gardner is one in every of solely 4 gamers within the majors to play in not less than 140 video games in every of the final seven seasons, together with Brandon Crawford, Anthony Rizzo and Carlos Santana. Gardner and Mike Trout are the one two gamers with not less than 80 runs scored in every season since 2013.
Final 12 months, Gardner was the oldest participant in MLB to make not less than 100 outfield begins.
“His capability to remain on the sphere, particularly at that place, could be very invaluable, particularly with all the opposite accidents they’ve handled within the outfield the final couple of years,’’ stated an AL scout. “I believe lots of us have been ready for him to interrupt down or decelerate in his manufacturing, however it’s simple to see why they need him round. [Gardner] has discovered a method to thrive — and never simply offensively. He’s nonetheless above-average in heart.’’
Earlier than spring coaching was shut down as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, Gardner was once more proving himself to be a key member of the outfield, as Choose was sidelined with a fractured rib and punctured lung and Stanton missed time with a strained calf. Ellsbury — a number of weeks youthful than Gardner — hasn’t performed a recreation since 2017.
Gardner, in the meantime, has performed not less than 140 video games each season since lacking most of 2012 with an elbow harm.
No matter turns into of the 2020 season, if it ever begins, Gardner will little doubt be relied upon closely, with harm considerations surrounding a lot of the remainder of the outfield regulars.
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