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Yankees Editorial: Jacoby Ellsbury Must Continue Success

By James Kowalski

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When you sign a contract for seven years, $153 million, you better perform. Jacoby Ellsbury had average numbers for a player at his position, but the fans and the organization expect top tier numbers.

There were many question marks when the New York Yankees offered this massive amount of money to Jacoby Ellsbury. There are many underlying questions that he answered everyday. Could he bat third? Yes he could. 

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He was consistent throughout the whole year, something many players had a problem with last season. He handled the media day by day and didn’t let the bright lights of New York get to his head. Could he stay healthy? He was an injury-prone player who had only played in 145+ games three times in his first seven seasons.

He finished last season playing in 149 games, his 3rd highest number in his career. His numbers were not flashy: .271 batting average, 16 home runs, 70 RBI’s, 71 runs, and 36 stolen bases. Still, he showed that he could hit the long ball in a Yankees uniform (16 home runs being the second most in his career) and proved he was durable enough to play throughout the season.

Was he overpaid? Yes. The Yankees needed to make a free agent splash when Robinson Cano left them for the Mariners.  Ellsbury and Brian McCann were the new faces brought in under the watchful eye of every fan. Ultimately, fans should be happy with what happened in his first year in his contract with the Yankees.

Expectations should be high for a player of his caliber. .290+ average with 20+ home runs and 85+ RBI’s are not crazy numbers to expect. It will all depend where he is batting in the line-up. Either way, Ellsbury is earning a fat paycheck, and fans are expecting the center fielder to help lead this team to contending for a World Series ring.

Next: Jason Giambi Retires

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