Mark Teixeira, Please Hit The Ball Fair-a

We all know Mark Teixeira struggles in April, but this is ridiculous.

Warning, small sample size alert

So far this season, Tex is at .229/.278/.386 with three homers, 12 RBI, 10 strikeouts to five walks, four doubles and nine runs scored in 20 games. His career March/April slash line is .236/.341/.422, so his batting average is not too far off but his other numbers are trash this year.

Since his big game in Boston, Tex is hitting .083 (2-for-24)/.080/.083 with three strikeouts, no walks, one RBI and one run scored in six games. That includes an 0-for-12 with no strikeouts or walks and one RBI in his last three games. WTF?

His .225 BABIP is fifth worst in baseball among qualifying first basemen, so hopefully that regresses soon and the hits start dropping. He’s actually doing much better as a lefty than as a righty this year (probably because he has more than twice as many at-bats hitting that way), but the calendar really needs to turn to May post-haste.

On defense he’s still legit, but his OPS+ has dropped dramatically since joining the Yanks. Hopefully this isn’t another contract the Yanks are regretting in a few years and the means will be regressed to ASAP.

I think this post is just the reverse jinx Tex needs to get going. Expect around five or six total bases from Marky Mark tonight against the O’s.