What’s On Second? Martin Prado Vs. Rob Refsnysder

At the start of the 2014 season, the Yankees knew they lost Robinson Cano and that the man replacing him, Brian Roberts, wasn’t going to be the player he once was. But they had no other options, and they powered through with blind faith, prayer and pixie dust. While Roberts failed both defensively and offensively, Yankees’ fans found a new champion in Triple-A second base standout Rob Refsnyder, who made headlines with his big bat early on in the year.

But the Yankees brass were firm in saying that Refsnyder would not see the majors in 2014. Refsnyder quickly transformed from an unknown prospect, into a household name, whose stay in the limbo of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre made him appear to be a martyr with his own hashtag (#Refsnyder4NYY). It seems that the 23-year-old would end up being the Yankees everyday two sacker in 2015, but the organization swung a deal for veteran infielder Martin Prado, whose reputation for being a consistent, gritty and team-oriented player made a lot of fans excited. Prado quickly became a fan favorite in the Bronx, which has sparked a real conundrum. After having no second baseman at the start of the season, the Yankees look like they’ll be having two by Opening Day 2015. That’t not even including Jose Pirela, and we’ll address that issue later this winter. But for right now, the big question is, who will be the starter between Prado and Refsnyder?

There are three possible options for the Yankees in this situation. One being that Prado could play second base with Refsnyder coming off the bench. With Prado’s ability to play almost every position on the field, Refsnyder would see a fair amount of playing time, while Prado moves around to suit the team’s needs on that particular day. Another option involves Refsnyder staying in the minors for a while so he could keep

Rob Refsnyder-Mandatory Credit: milb.com

up his playing time while Prado continues to play up here in the Bronx. Lastly, and this is the most interesting option, both players can start. The Yankees will likely need a third baseman as the returning Alex Rodriguez won’t be able to play there every day, and there has been a lot of talk about the Yankees possibly re-signing Chase Headley or pursuing Pablo Sandoval in the off-season. But the Yankees could simply forgo signing another third baseman and put Prado at that position, where he has a lot of experience, and have Refsnyder play at second base on a daily basis. But this is a lot to ask from a young, inexperienced Refsnyder, and it could come back to hurt the team if he can’t find consistent success.

Let’s be blunt, neither of these players will be able to replace Robinson Cano, but they can each do their part to support the team. Prado has never been a superstar, but the career .291 hitter has been a great defender and a grinder his whole career, and is under contract for two more years with the Yankees.

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Refsnyder was electric down in Triple-A, and could be the next home grown New York star if given the right opportunities. To be clear, these are good problems to have. Options are very good for any organization around baseball. One thing is for certain, as far as second base is concerned, the Yankees are in a much better place than they were just a few months ago.