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Yankees’ News: Rob Refsnyder Working To Get Better

By Tyler Angelo

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The New York Yankees second base position is one of many questions coming into 2015. It was believed that it would be up for grabs between the top two prospects Rob Refsnyder, and Jose Pirela in Spring Training. This was because Martin Prado was predicted to be the every day third baseman but Brian Cashman didn’t let this last long.

He re-signed Chase Headley to a four year deal and sent Prado packing to Miami. Not feeling satisfied, Cashman brought in Stephen Drew and came out in a statement saying that Drew projects as “hopefully our everyday second baseman”.

It might not be the worst thing to have Drew start the season off as the starter at second. He is reliable defensively and is the utility man every manager dreams of. His bat isn’t anything to write home about but he understands the game and does what he is asked. Drew would give Girardi a reliable option while Refsnyder and Pirela continue to develop.

The fan favorite Refsnyder could definitely use the extra development time. He is still learning the second base position after switching there and his defense has a far way to go. Even though his bat has been impressive, .318 with 14 home runs and 64 RBI’s between Double-A and Triple-A, Refsnyder is still working on his swing.

This is a great quality that management will fall in love with in a young kid. He saw success but was not satisfied, he is still working hard and accepting criticism to continue to get better.

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com wrote an article about an interview with YES Network’s Meredith Markovits in which Refsnyder discussed his success at the plate. He contributed a large amount of his success to Double-A hitting coach Marcus Thames who will be joining the Triple-A club this season.

"“He just wanted me to get more direct to the baseball. Guys were throwing a lot harder, I mean 96 MPH, 97 MPH, it’s incredible. Especially the back-end-of-the-bullpen guys. So Marcus just wanted me to get a little more direct to the ball and stood me up a little more upright and just made some minor tweaks but, man, they really helped. I’m really excited for Marcus. I think he’s going to be an unbelievable hitting coach.”"

Refsnyder also discussed just how close his relationship with Thames is. He displayed unparalleled amount of trust in the coach.

"“Marcus, his first tour as a hitting coach was with me. It feels like we kind of have kind of grown up through the ranks together. But it’s been fun watching him grow as a hitting coach. Marcus, I tell everyone, if you’ve got something wrong with your swing, you need to go to Marcus. He does a really good job just pinpointing what you need to do and doing a couple of drills to help you out.”"

Next: Will the Yankees look foolish if they miss out on Moncada?

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