Yankees Editorial: Chase Headley’s Struggles Continue

New York Yankees third basemen Chase Headley hasn’t gotten off to the start he or the team hoped of. The Yankees signed Headley to a new contract this off-season in hopes of him being an exceptional bat in the lower portion of the lineup like last year. However this year his power hasn’t really hit it’s form yet.

Headley after Friday’s game has a .229 batting average with just four homers and 14 RBIs. On top of that, Headley doesn’t draw that many walks to get himself on base, leaving him with a .282 OBP. His bright spot is his defense, but if you look at the stats even that isn’t as clean as the team would like. Though Headley makes great plays, he still has seven errors already this year. Third base is a challenging position to play, you’re getting action almost daily, but seven errors already in the season is far too much. You can compare this to the most errors he’s gotten in his Major League career which is thirteen.

Headley’s lineup spot which is usually seventh is more important to the Yankees than most would think. With Mark Teixeira, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran all being in front of him, and the last two batters struggling, it’s up for Headley to advance those three batters the best he can. To rely on Stephen Drew or Didi Gregorius on a daily basis to bring them in is too much to ask right now. Teixeira, McCann, and Beltran are extremely slow, so Headley is needed for extra base hits just as much as anyone else, and though he is a seasoned veteran, he still hit 31 homers just three years ago.

The main worry is if Headley will be able to turn it around, with his age, and the Yankees lack of depth at the third base position to back him up. The best thing to look at is who else but Carlos Beltran. Beltran has been hitting better as of late, and when everyone was questioning if he was done. Not only with pressure on him, but with Chris Young taking his playing time. If he’s starting to turn things around, you have to believe Headley can. With Joe Girardi making it public that Alex Rodriguez will now be kept at a DH spot, and Stephen Drew sharing time at second with Jose Pirela, Headley has no other variables to worry about but himself.

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