Yankees: Who’s the most athletically talented player on the team

When the Yankees made a move last year towards youth, by definition, it also meant they were reaching for athleticism. Putting aside all the numbers, which player(s) on the team this year stand out for their athletic ability and talent?

The Yankees, fortunately, have no Pablo Sandoval‘s on their team and every player is in prime playing condition. But who’s the fairest of them all? And which player stands out as being the best athlete on the team?

I’ve often wondered what would happen if the Yankees ran a combine similar to what teams do in the NFL, testing each player’s skill level in a number of categories. Like, which Yankee would win the 100-yd sprint? Who’s the fastest from first to third, or who can do the most push ups in two minutes?

In some instances, as in the case of the first to third dash, the Yankees probably have their stats but choose (wisely) to keep it to themselves. Still, it would be fun, as well as revealing, to run some of these other tests.

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Size does not always equate with strength, and strength does not always equate with agility. For example, do you think Aaron Judge would match up with Brett Gardner, pound for pound, in overall strength?

Or, if Gardner comes up as “strong,” how well would he match up with say, Didi Gregorius, in an obstacle course race where agility is the primary athletic requirement?

Do our eyes tell us all we need to know

On the other hand, though, maybe we don’t need science to tell us what our eyes can see. For instance, one look at CC Sabathia would lead some to wonder what he’s doing on a ball field, and as a pitcher at that. But Sabathia fields his position like a cat, even as father time is wearing on him.

Greg Bird doesn’t impress me as a particularly good athlete. His strength lies in his hand-eye coordination and, as Reggie Jackson said recently, his ability to make contact with the barrel of the bat is extraordinary. Bird is agile enough to play his position at first base, but it’s hard to see him playing a position such as shortstop.

Aaron Judge has plus skills in speed, arm strength, bat speed and power. But is he the speediest player on the team? When tested, does his arm hold up to say, Clint Frazier? One look at Judge tells you he has athlete written all over him, and he will always be seen as a human specimen.

Yankees catcher, Gary Sanchez, impresses offensively, but his overall skills as an athlete are severely tested when he gets behind the plate. He knows what he’s supposed to do in getting out there and down to block pitches in the dirt, but many times his body is not working in sync with his head, resulting in an unacceptable number of passed balls and errors.

Jacoby Ellsbury runs like a gazelle in the outfield, tracking down balls he has no business getting near. The trouble is, he doesn’t seem to have any sense of where he is and his body takes over resulting in several collisions with walls, leading to injury and time lost.

So each of these players, while very gifted, have an area or two they struggle with, making it hard to rate them as the best athlete on the team.

Next: Youth movement review

I haven’t mentioned Didi Gregorius yet, and I was saving him for last, only because I’m tempted to appoint him as the most athletic of all the Yankees. Tempted, but not convinced. And the reason is he’s the same player day in and day out. I know that sounds strange, but what I mean is I seldom see him do anything spectacular on the field, where you would say, Holy cow, how did he do that? But that’s OK.