Teixeira’s Yankee career got off to a great start, as the slugging first baseman hit .292/.383/.565 with 39 HRs in his first season in pinstripes. His 4.8 oWAR that season placed him seventh overall in the American League in the category, and 17^th overall in the majors. Using a different metric, Teixeira’s wRC+ that season was 141, which was tied for 16^th best in the majors and sixth best in the AL. By all means, Teixeira was a top-20 (admittedly an arbitrary cut-off point) offensive player in baseball in 2009. It would be fair to expect Teixeira to either improve on that season – as he’d enter his age-30 season the following year, a prime age area for sluggers – or at least maintain the same level of production.

The 2010 season didn’t go according to plan, as Teixeira took a step backwards with his offensive production. His oWAR dropped to 3.3, tied for 23^rd in the AL and tied for 52^nd in the majors. Subsequently, his wRC+ descended to 126, tying him for 16^th in the AL and tied for 38^th in the majors. To be fair, that’s still fine offensive production, but not for a player making over $20m a year.

Furthermore, a concerning trend started to form. In 2010, Teixeira hit .244/.342/.457 with a 114 wRC+ vs. right-handed pitchers. Versus left-handed pitchers, Teixeira performed much better, hitting .278/.413/.528 with a 151 wRC+. Granted, he faced RHPs more than twice as many times as he did LHPs (486 plate-appearances compared to 223,) but it was still bothersome.

Entering 2011 and his age-31 season, Yankee fans expected the slugger to perform more like he did in 2009. However, Teixeira took yet another step in the wrong direction with his bat. His oWAR continued to drop, finishing the season at 2.5, tied for 43^rd in the AL and tied for 85^th in baseball. The drop in his wRC+ wasn’t as significant, ending up at 124, but his peers performed better than the previous year, which meant Teixeira was tied for 22^nd in the AL and tied for 42^nd in the majors in the category.

Teixeira’s platoon splits weren’t corrected either. His rather poor performance vs. RHPs got even worse, as he hit .224/.325/.453 with a 110 wRC+ against them. On the other hand, he continued to rake vs. LHPs, producing a slash-line of .302/.380/.587 and a 158 wRC+.

Going into 2012, manager Joe Girardi decided to bat Teixeira fifth in the order rather than his usual third slot, taking away some at-bats from him in the long-run. Moving from third in the order to fifth isn’t a huge change, but it’s good to see that Girardi noticed Teixeira’s decline as well.

What isn’t good is the fact that Teixeira is already declining and is only 32-years-old, and is owed $112.5m over the next five seasons (including 2012.)

Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

When David Robertson suffered a bruised foot, Yankee fans everywhere held their breaths. Joe Girardi initially said that the MRI showed “cause for concern.” Robertson started using crutches. He was in a walking boot. The injury was later classified as a “bone bruise,” which is surely better than a broken bone, but there were doubts about Robertson being ready for Opening Day. However, after a few days of worrying, Yankee fans finally received good news.  The team’s best reliever from last season seemed to be on track to make a full recovery by Opening Day.

That’s right. Last season, there wasn’t a relief pitcher on the team that had a better year than Robertson. Not even the great Mariano Rivera.

In fact, Robertson’s 66.2 innings pitched last season were arguably more valuable than any pitcher on the Yankees not named CC Sabathia.

By bWAR:

CC Sabathia – 6.9

David Robertson – 3.9

Ivan Nova – 3.6

Mariano Rivera – 3.5

Freddy Garcia – 3.4

By fWAR:

CC Sabathia – 7.1

Bartolo Colon – 2.9

David Robertson – 2.8

Ivan Nova – 2.7

Mariano Rivera – 2.4

Furthermore, Robertson led the majors in ERA+ with a remarkable 410 ERA+. The statistic is more favorable towards relievers who performed well rather than starters because of the fewer innings pitched, but nonetheless, the next best ERA+ was Eric O’Flahetry’s 389.

To give this more context, last season’s ERA+ leader amongst starters was Justin Verlander with a 170 ERA+. Roy Halladay was second with a 164 ERA+ and Clayton Kershaw was third with a 163 ERA+. So the difference between the best and second best starting pitcher in ERA+ was six points, while Robertson’s lead on O’Flaherty was 21 points.

It’s possible to provide more outstanding statistics from last season, but the point is already clear. Robertson is by all means irreplaceable for the Yankees. With Joba Chamberlain set to miss the season, Robertson’s quick recovery from his foot injury is even more welcome. And although it seems like the only two “sure things” in the bullpen are Robertson and Rivera, the ability to shorten games by two innings is extremely valuable. If the rest of the bullpen can be competent – at worst – then the Yankees’ entire pitching staff should once again be amongst the major league leaders in ERA+, bWAR, fWAR, amongst other categories.

Of course, that’s assuming the rotation also does its job.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

It’s fair to say that the only given, for lack of a better word, in the Yankees’ rotation is CC Sabathia. Though they have many options, every candidate other than Sabathia comes with his own series of questions. There are potential doubts about velocity, transition from a different league or division, mental strength, amongst others.  To be sure, there are clearly positives to be made about each one of the pitchers, but looking at the full picture is necessary to accurately evaluate and project their respective abilities and expectations.

The sexy new toy in the rotation is Michael Pineda. After being acquired for the highly-rated and fan-favorite Jesus Montero, Pineda faces the immediate challenge of impressing Yankee fans right out of the gate. While many supporters will understand that Pineda doesn’t have to dominate in his first couple of starts in order to justify the trade, there will be those who will start questioning the big right-hander’s ability to pitch in New York if he gets off to a slow start. The criticism may be justified in the long-term, but to label the trade as a bust and Pineda as a player who isn’t “mentally tough” after a couple of outings would be irresponsible. That being said, it will happen. It always has and it always will. Pineda will have to learn how to deal with media and fan criticism in order to succeed in this city.

Fan and media pressure aren’t the only challenges Pineda faces. In his short time with the Mariners, Pineda benefited from taking the mound in an extremely pitcher-friendly home park. Since 2008, Safeco Field ranks as the 3rd best pitcher’s-park in the major leagues, and is classified as an “extreme pitcher’s park” by www.parkfactors.com. Pineda’s road numbers weren’t horrible (4.40 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .381 SLG.) However, his home production suggests that pitching at Safeco certainly helped (2.92 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, .291 SLG) his overall statistics. Also, being an extreme fly-ball pitcher in Safeco Field was another big plus for Pineda. At home, his opponents had a .220 BABIP while on the road it was .280. A significant difference, especially since his home/road GB% and FB% splits were nearly identical.

Another concern is Pineda’s lack of velocity in Spring Training so far. His fastball is ranging between 90-92 MPH, which is a significant drop-off from the 94.7 MPH (according to www.fangraphs.com) that it averaged last season.

Having said all of that, it’s important to remember that Pineda is still a tremendous talent. Recording a 3.15 K/BB ratio is not easy to accomplish, especially for a rookie. Pineda being only a two-pitch pitcher (fastball and slider) makes his K/BB ratio even more impressive. It’s also fair to note that last season’s 171 innings pitched by Pineda are not enough to evaluate his pitching style and ability. Entering his age-23 season in 2012, Pineda will have many expectations to live up to, but it’s essential that the organization and its fans are patient with his development as he has the tools to become a special pitcher.

Joining Pineda as a new member of the Yankees will be 37-year-old Hiroki Kuroda. The obvious question mark with Kuroda is whether or not he can be as successful in the American League as he was in the National League. Though he wasn’t exactly a ground-ball pitcher last season (43.2% GB,) Kuroda has been a ground-ball pitcher throughout his major league career, which would serve him well in Yankee Stadium. And unlike Pineda, Kuroda hasn’t been relying on pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium to boost his overall numbers, as his career ERA, WHIP, SLG, BABIP, GB% and FB% have been practically the same at home and on the road. Lastly, Kuroda is always featured amongst the MLB leaders in K/BB ratio, a skill that is extremely beneficial in a hitter’s-park like Yankee Stadium.

A more familiar face to Yankee fans, who seems to have a guaranteed rotation spot going into 2012 unless something drastic occurs, is Ivan Nova. Though Nova doesn’t need to familiarize himself with Yankee Stadium like Pineda and Kuroda, he does need to improve in some areas. His 1.72 K/BB ratio (1.68 for his career) shows that he lacks the ability to strike batters out and relies on his defense to make many outs for him. Coupled with a mediocre at best BB/9 ratio (3.10, 3.21 for his career) it’s fair to assume that Nova’s success last season isn’t repeatable and he may be due for a regression. It’s also important to remember that he struggled with his K/BB ratio in his minor league career as well. The good sign is that Nova is a ground-ball pitcher, which somewhat helps to make up for his unimpressive K/BB ratio.

One of the two pitchers who entered Spring Training in a battle for the number five spot in the rotation is Phil Hughes. After getting off to a good start in the spring (1.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 5 K, 1 BB in 8.1 IP,) it seems like Hughes will enter the season as the Yankees’ fifth starter. The organization isn’t as high on Hughes as it once was – and rightfully so – but the 25-year-old is relatively young and may still have a bright future. However, the Yankees are always in a ‘win-now’ mode, which means that they can’t afford to keep Hughes in the rotation for too long if he struggles, especially with the pitching depth that’s at their disposal. If Hughes can regain confidence in his fastball while continuing to develop his changeup, and mix them in with his slow curve, he should make it difficult for the Yankees to give up on him.

With Hughes seemingly locked into the last rotation spot, Freddy Garcia looks like the odd man out (Spring stats: 4.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 7 K, 2 BB in 8 IP.) This can mean one of two things. The Yankees may choose to keep him in the bullpen as a long-man and an emergency starter, or they can look to trade the 35-year-old and his reported $4m salary. Either way, the Yankees should be able to get something useful out of Garcia, as he proved last season that he can still be a productive major league pitcher.

A surprising addition to the rotation picture is Andy Pettitte. After coming out of retirement and signing a 1-year deal with the Yankees, the 39-year-old left-hander is going to start in the minor leagues until he builds himself back up. It has been reported that Pettitte is going to earn a rotation spot as soon as he is ready to pitch in the majors, which means that everyone not named CC Sabathia needs to pitch well to keep their place. While it’s hard to predict Pettitte’s potential production since he sat out the entire 2011 season, his 2010 numbers were great (3.28 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 2.46 K/BB, 132 ERA+, 2.4 fWAR, 2.8 bWAR in 129 IP,) suggesting that he should still offer the Yankees league-average production, at worst.

Though it seems like the Yankees have many question marks in their rotation, they also have many options. Other pitchers who aren’t currently in consideration for a rotation spot but are candidates for starts this season include Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, David Phelps, Adam Warren and D.J. Mitchell. Starting pitching depth is a rare thing for many teams, which means that the Yankees have yet another advantage over most clubs.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Entering the 2011 season, many Yankee fans weren’t sure what to expect from Curtis Granderson. In 2010, his first season with the team, Granderson’s production wasn’t necessarily bad (.247/.324/.468, 24 HRs, 12 SBs [2 CS,] 112 wRC+, 2.8 oWAR, in 528 PAs,) but it’s fair to assume that most fans expected more. It’s also worth noting that Granderson spent time on the DL with a sprained groin that season. However, he wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire before the injury.

In 2011, Granderson gave Yankee fans the production they expected, and then some. The 30-year-old center-fielder had a triple-slash line of .262/.364/.552, hit 41 HRs, stole 25 bases (getting caught 10 times,) had a 146 wRC+ (16^th in the majors) and a 5.4 oWAR (14^th in the majors.) To put it simply, he had an outstanding season. However, it was also a career-year, which means questions will be asked. Can he do it again? Can he be even better? Was it a complete fluke?

When trying to analyze that and come up with an answer, two stats really jump out. The first being his Lefty/Righty splits. By now everyone is familiar with the story. Kevin Long worked with Granderson in August of 2010 with the hopes of making him a capable hitter vs. left-handed pitchers. But since that was towards the end of the season, a large enough sample-size to accurately assess if Long’s “tweaks” in Granderson’s approach vs. LHPs worked wasn’t available.

However, the 2011 campaign showed that whatever Long did really did work. Granderson’s L/R splits were staggering (vs. RHP [472 PAs]: .258/.372/.531, 25 HRs, 142 wRC+; vs. LHP [219 PAs]: .272/.347/.597, 16 HRs, 151 wRC+) compared to his career-norms. This means that Granderson fixed a huge – and what was arguably the largest – flaw in his game, and turned himself into a complete offensive player. Someone who can hit for power, get on base, utilize his speed and have successful at-bats vs. both right and left-handed pitchers.

The second statistic that jumped out was his Home/Road splits. Many baseball fans and analysts seemed to think that Granderson had such a tremendous season due to him playing in such a hitter-friendly home park. Definitely not an outrageous suggestion, but in this case, it was simply wrong:

2011 Home:

332 PAs, .262/.359/.563, 21 HRs, 146 wRC+, .294 BABIP

2011 Road:

359 PAs, .263/.369/.543, 20 HRs, 146 wRC+, .296 BABIP

As clearly shown, Granderson had nearly identical production whether playing at Yankee Stadium or on the road.

Of course, it’s important to remember that, after all, this was a career-year, and to expect Granderson to either improve on that production or even repeat it may be asking too much. However, it’s also very plausible that this is who Granderson really is as an offensive player, since he made such a tremendous adjustment vs. LHPs.