Curtis Granderson had some super-sized platoon splits in his career with the Tigers. While he put up an All-Star worthy .380 wOBA in his career versus righties, he was below replacement-level against left-handed pitchers. His futility against lefties reached its nadir last year when southpaws held him to an absurd .223 wOBA.
But there was some hope coming into this season:
1) Tom Tango wrote that Granderson’s true talent level versus lefties should be estimated at a more reasonable .312wOBA.
2) New Yankee Stadium has done some things for left-handed hitters in its brief time on the planet.
3) He could be expected to improve as he got more PA experience versus lefties.
4) His BB/K ratio last year was a not-awful .36. He was killed by a .226 BABIP.
In spite of all this rosiness, it’s not working out for Curtis against the platoon this year. He’s still been below replacement-level at a .271 wOBA. And that’s being propped up by a .321 BABIP. What’s even more disturbing is that his batting eye has completely fallen apart, as he’s posted an atrocious .12 BB/K ratio against LHPs.
Let’s hope Kevin Long can work some magic with Granderson. If not, he is going to really hurt the Yankees in high leverage situations as managers match up against him late in close games.
31 Comments
Curtis Granderson June 13, 2010 08:29
Yeah baby! WOOOO!
john kruk June 13, 2010 09:50
if i can hit randy johnson….c-grand looks fine to me…
Austin Jackson June 13, 2010 10:31
Miss me yet?
Curtis Granderson June 13, 2010 11:33
Thank yall mutherfuckers at nomaas. Cuz now i’ma bout to tear shit up against leftys yall motherfuckers are like postin shit only to have it be wrong.
Fuck yall mutherfuckas.
Thomas Tu June 13, 2010 12:31
I don’t agree with this. If you saw the at bats he had against Wandy and in recent weeks, he doesn’t chase that many balls, he runs the count deep and he usually gets beat with breaking pitches that either break into the strike and break around within the strike zone.
I think he’s doing a great job, but getting no love for it….statistically
Smart man June 13, 2010 12:39
i agree thomas, thats where stats mean nothing because theres a human level to it that stats cant show
as he hasnt been perfect he has been having good at bats vs lefties and not look foolish like he used to in detroit and its just a matter of time until he figures it out
another point is that every time a manager has brought in a lefty late in a game hes done something productive to drive in a run or get a key hit or walk
Marcus Thames June 13, 2010 13:04
That’s what I’m for.
Phieleblunt June 13, 2010 13:30
I love how NoMaas said that the trade made so much sense because Austin Jackson’s upside was Curtis Granderson. Good call
Craig June 13, 2010 13:48
Look at how Jackson doing now. He stopped playing way over his head and his OPS been dropping sub 770. Also is BABIP is still .418
Phieleblunt June 13, 2010 15:05
So Craig, what your saying is that they are comparable stats, one is a lot younger and making a lot less money.
Robocop June 13, 2010 17:31
Comparable stats? Jackson has an OPS+ of 104, had an OPS of .732 in May, and is currently rocking a .515 OPS in June. I wish people would shut up about Jackson already.
Kevin S. June 13, 2010 17:59
Jackson strikes out four times as often as he walks and has no power. The dude’s playable because he looks like he’s a plus defensive center fielder, but let’s stop pretending he’s Granderson’s equal with the stick right now.
Fuckwad June 13, 2010 18:03
Why would you make a Nick Adenhart joke?
Jason O. June 13, 2010 18:13
Because nothing is off limits at NoMaas: It’s a 1st amendment paradise.
Cory Lidle June 13, 2010 19:13
I loved the Adenhart joke!
Ken Caminiti June 13, 2010 19:42
Death is certainly nothing to joke about. But if you’re going to go…dude a bump mixed with OC.
Ken Caminiti June 13, 2010 19:43
I also back the use of roids in baseball.
Phieleblunt June 14, 2010 03:47
So I guess we can say that Austin Jackson wont improve as it is his rookie year. One player is going to improve and it looks like the other is not. I am sure I am arguing with the same tools who thought Nick Johnson was an upgrade to Damon/Matsui
Steve June 14, 2010 09:23
I love how NoMaas said that the trade made so much sense because Austin Jackson’s upside was Curtis Granderson.
this is still true.
stickq June 14, 2010 10:49
I still believe this team’s record would be exactly the same or possibly better with Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson, and yes even Melky over, Winn, Thames, Granderson and Vazquez.
I think the moves made this off season weren’t anything special but just part of the fulfillment of the belief that Yankees fans need allstars at every position and won’t have the patience for a youth movement because it doesn’t align with the win a world series every year mentality.
Steve June 14, 2010 11:43
I agree that the Yankees’s record would be similar up to this point, because Vazquez had a terrible April, Granderson got hurt, and AJax had a ridiculously hit-lucky April. Going forward, I’ll take Granderson and Vazquez, and it’s probably not even close.
Melky has been one of the worst players in baseball this year and being arb-eligible for the 2nd time, is making $3.1M this season. If the Yankees wanted Melky back, they could have him for a D prospect and taking his salary. There is a 99% chance he is non-tendered this winter.
Steve should do some research June 14, 2010 13:28
Hi Steve
Melky Cabrera’s April: .195/.287. with a .231 BABIP
Melky Cabrera’s May: .294/.342 with a .322 BABIP
Melky Cabrera’s June: .275/.310 with a .303 BABIP
One unlucky month makes him one of the worst players in baseball? Let’s all ignore Teix’s .229 average.
Steve June 14, 2010 14:00
Not sure what your point is. Are those June numbers supposed to be good? Are those May numbers supposed to impress me for a LFer?
What does Teixeira have to do with anything? Melky has been terrible. I’m not saying he IS terrible, or won’t improve, but to this point, he has been indisputably bad. That was the original poster’s point, that up to this point the Yankees would be in the same spot with Melky, etc.
Steve's Mom June 14, 2010 16:08
STATS!!!!!! I LOVE STATS LITTLE STEVIE!!!!!!
Steve should do some research June 14, 2010 18:46
Steve,
You called Melky “one of the worst players in MLB,” which is an inaccurate statement that you probably pulled from your ass. Granted, casual baseball fans with no sense routinely make inaccurate generalizations – so I shouldn’t fault you for your own stupidity.
Melky Cabrera is a league average bat. He has played as such up until this point. Statistics show that his March/April was simply a player getting off to a shitty start. He has recovered well, and is back to his league average form. You are not supposed to be impressed by these numbers, dipshit, you are supposed to recognize that league average does not equal worst player in baseball.
Oily fucken bird June 14, 2010 20:44
Is G dangerous in clutch situations, or no? Do stats give an answer to this or do they break down in the face of intangibles? This is what enquiring managers want to know.
Dipshit. good word.
dip shit
dip-shit
di pshit
di ps hit – that’s my fraternity!
Mike June 14, 2010 22:21
Melky Cabrera has a league average bat? What league is that? The League of the Pathetic? His lifetime OPS+ is 86 and it’s 73 this year. The Yankees could have him back without too much of a fight from the Braves. He had value when he was being paid league minimum and a bit above. At $3.1 million? No thanks. Fungible.
TheTruthIsHere June 14, 2010 22:22
fuck you whiny fagots, you complain about every single little shit on the team, fot christ sake, theres holes in every team, more holes than the yankees have, feel privilege to have such a good team and not be a fan of the o’s or pirates you disgusting idiotic pieces of randy winns
Steve June 15, 2010 10:55
Steve,
You called Melky “one of the worst players in MLB,” which is an inaccurate statement that you probably pulled from your ass
Can you read?
This is exactly what I wrote:
Melky HAS BEEN one of the worst players in baseball THIS YEAR.
No, I didn’t “pull it from my ass”. Here you go:
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=of&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=6&season=2010&month=0
4th Worst OFer in baseball this season SO FAR.
I don’t understand what was so controversial about this.
BABIP doesn't tell the whole story June 20, 2010 20:19
Has Austin Jackson really been hit lucky? He does have the highest LD% in the AL. Fast players who hit a lot of line drives tend to have high BABIP. Granted, not .418, but if AJax is going to hit 29% line drives, with his speed, shouldn’t he be expected to have one of the highest BABIP in baseball?
BABIP doesn't tell the whole story June 20, 2010 20:31
His true average is almost identical to Granderson’s this year, .278 to Grandy’s .274. UZR has Jackson as a plus-plus CF this year, and when you consider that Jackson is younger and cheaper than Granderson and the loss of Ian Kennedy, and the deal doesn’t look like the slam dunk it was made out to be.