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What’s new: The Yankees (15-13) have recovered nicely since getting swept in the season-opening series by the Rays, though they lost closer Mariano Rivera, likely for the year, to a torn ACL. SS Derek Jeter is hitting a major-league best .397.

Connections: Yankees RHP Rafael Soriano is a former Rays closer, RHP Cory Wade a former Rays minor-league reliever, pitching coach Larry Rothschild an ex-Rays manager. … Rays C Jose Molina played for the Yankees, and hitting coach Derek Shelton worked six years in their minor-league system.

Series history: The Yankees lead the overall series 150-88, including 81-37 in New York.

The Rays said Monday an MRI exam on LF Desmond Jennings revealed a left knee sprain, and he’ll be monitored daily.

The good news for Tampa Bay is that Jennings isn’t going on the disabled list — at least for now — and he traveled with the team on its eight-game, three-city road trip that starts in New York tonight.

Jennings left Sunday’s game in the second inning with what the team described as “left knee soreness.”

Manager Joe Maddon had said he thought the injury occurred on Jennings’ first-inning head-first slide home, when the speedy leadoff man scored on a sacrifice fly.

Maddon said if Jennings can’t play tonight, more than likely it’ll be Matt Joyce in left, B.J. Upton in center and Ben Zobrist in right.

TOUGH TASK: The Rays have maintained a lead over the Yankees since their season-opening sweep at Tropicana Field but head into the series in New York wary of the task they face.

“They have good pitching, they have one of the best lineups in all of baseball,” DH Luke Scott said. “They are a very good team. That’s how we look at them. We respect our opponent, but we’re also a very good team.”

The Rays (19-10) spent the past few weeks facing every team in the American League West. RHP James Shields said it’ll be nice to get back into “familiar territory” with this trip featuring three AL East foes, including a Baltimore team that entered Monday with the best record in the majors.

“You look at Toronto, that’s a first-place team in any other division, Yankees are a first-place team, Boston, too,” Scott said. “You’ve got five just dominant teams. There’s no breaks.”

STRONG SHIELDS: Shields, who allowed six runs in a no-decision opening day against the Yankees, has won every start since, carrying a major league-leading five wins into tonight’s start.

“Obviously you can tweak a few things here and there, but for the most part I’m feeling really good right now,” Shields said. “I’ve had some pretty decent bullpen sessions, and I’ve just got to keep rolling.”

NO SLOUCH: While the absence of legendary Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, out with a torn ACL, leaves a significant void, the Rays say RHP David Robertson is a formidable fill-in.

Robertson, an All-Star last season, has not given up a run in 27 consecutive appearances dating to Aug. 29.

“I know from facing him, he’s not a fun at-bat,” Scott said. “He’s got really good stuff. And he’s got the longest stride of any pitcher in baseball. So when you see 94-96 (mph) on the gun, it’s more like 98-100.”

ON THE MOVE: Scott is working back into potentially being able to play in the field, saying he’s 10-12 days into a throwing program as he attempts to strengthen his surgically repaired right shoulder.

“I can play first base right now,” Scott said. “I can probably get the ball into the cutoff man now, but I want to be able to put a little bit on it, where I can hold guys to a single.”

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

Rivera had hinted at the start of spring training that he would retire after the 2012 season, and he wasn’t sure what he would do after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament while shagging fly balls during batting practice Thursday.

Back at Kauffman Stadium today, the 42-year-old closer firmly said he will not allow his career to end this way.

“I’m coming back. Write it down in big letters. I’m not going out like this,” he said. “This has me thinking, I can’t go down like this. If it takes two, three, four, five, seven more (seasons), whatever it takes.”

Rivera dabbed tears from his eyes when he spoke Thursday night. He then went back to his hotel room, reflected and made his decision not to retire. He holds outside hope of returning late this season.

“Miracles happen,” he said. “I’m a positive man. The only thing is that I feel sorry I let down my teammates. Besides that I’m OK.”

(Reuters) – New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, Major League Baseball’s career saves leader, may be lost for the season after tests showed he had torn a knee ligament, manager Joe Girardi said on Thursday after their game in Kansas City.

Rivera, 42, hurt his knee while fielding fly balls during batting practice before the game against the Royals.

“You lose a Hall of Famer … if that’s what it is, that’s as bad as it gets,” a sombre Girardi told reporters after New York’s 4-3 loss.

The Panamanian right-hander, who has registered a record 608 career saves, suffered the injury while running back in deep center field to chase down a ball hit by Jayson Nix.

It could also mean the end of Rivera’s illustrious career. The closer said before the season he had made up his mind whether this campaign would be his last but was not going to reveal his decision until after the season.

Rivera’s right knee buckled as he approached the warning track going after the fly ball and collapsed to the ground near the fence, clutching his knee in pain.

The reliever was at first diagnosed with a strained knee after being examined on site at Kauffman Stadium by Royals associate physician Joseph Noland and several members of the Yankees training staff.

An MRI scan performed at a nearby hospital revealed the torn ligament, Girardi said.

Rivera, who set the league’s saves record with 602 against the Minnesota Twins in September, regularly chases fly balls as do many pitchers during batting practice as part of their conditioning.

Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who has teamed up with Rivera to win five World Series titles with New York, said: “He’s going to be missed. There’s no other way to put it. “You can’t replace him.”

Rivera, who has also posted a record 42 postseason saves, had shown no signs of slowing down, registering a 1-1 record with five saves and a 2.16 earned run average this season.

“There’s reasons why it happens,” an emotional Rivera told reporters. “You have to take it the way it is and fight through it. Now we just have to fight.”

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles and Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Ian Ransom)

No New York Yankees fan, including myself, wants to face the possibility that closer Mariano Rivera may be succumbing to the inevitable–his age. Rivera’s opening-day catastrophe is alarming in that he lacked movement on his pitches. Add in the fact that he allowed booming hits to players he usually dominates, such as Carlos Pena, and it makes New York rooters nervous.

Rivera has been hit hard before, but he always straightens out after these bad stretches. I hope this is simply an anomaly and that he has a solid year, and then retires. If not, and he performs poorly, he will not be alone among Yankee stars who have had not heeded the advance of time.

Few great to very good players leave the game willingly, and most wait until they have become a shell of their former selves on the field. Rare are the men who leave baseball on their own terms, with their fans not having the chance to wish they had gone sooner so as not to remember their struggles.

Three New York Yankees come to mind as having said goodbye to the Bronx with their game and dignity intact:

1. Joe DiMaggio

Joltin’ Joe was 36 when he retired in 1951, just one season removed from hitting 32 homers and knocking in 122 runs. Slowed by injuries in 1951, Joe played in just 116 contests, but still had 71 runs batted in. However, he hit only .263 and struck out 36 times. The latter number may seem minuscule, but it was among the highest season totals for DiMaggio. He called it quits despite pleas from the Yankee brass to remain, hitting .261 in the last of the ten World Series he played in for New York, with a homer and five runs batted in.

2. Paul O’Neill

O’Neill had a farewell season very similar to DiMaggio’s final campaign, hitting .267 with 21 homers and 70 runs batted in. He was coming off a stretch from 1997 through 2000 during which he had a total of 443 runs batted in over the four years. But O’Neill, who turned 38 in February of 2001, decided enough was enough. He helped the Yankees to the World Series, hitting .417 versus the Mariners in the American League Championship Series victory by New York. He hit .333 in the Series against the Diamondbacks, lost ironically when Mariano Rivera blew the save in Game 7.

3. Mike Mussina

Mussina not only left on a high note, he had one of his best all-around seasons, winning 20 games for the only time in his career. He was 20-9 in 2008 before stepping away at age 39, pitching to an earned run average of 3.37. Mussina had managed 18 wins on three occasions and 19 wins twice, but never 20 until that last year. He led the American League in starts with 34 in 2008 and struck out 150 batters before hanging up the spikes.

I have been a New York Yankee fan since the middle of the 1960s.

Sources:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dimagjo01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/o’neipa01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mussimi01.shtml

My fellow New York Yankees fans have an incredible appreciation for reliever Mariano Rivera, who has been with the club since 1995. Rivera actually started 10 games during that season, but he has been throwing exclusively in the late innings ever since.

While it is common knowledge that Rivera now holds the major league mark for career saves with 603, he is the top man, or high among the leaders, in the Yankees’ record books in a variety of pitching categories.

1. Earned Run Average

While Rivera trails Goose Gossage in this important department, it is important to note that Gossage’s Yankees earned run average of 2.14 was accomplished in 533 innings. Rivera is second as a Yankee, but his 2.21 career ERA covers 1,211.1 frames–easily more than twice the innings pitched of the Hall-of-Famer Goose.

2. Walks and Hits Per Innings Pitched (WHIP)

One of the most telling of all pitching statistics, the WHIP of Rivera is a minuscule 0.998. He is the all-time Yankee leader in this department, with Gossage in second at 1.079. Fritz Peterson is the first modern day New York starter to show up on this list, at sixth with a WHIP of 1.146.

3. Hits Per Nine Innings Pitched

The Goose again has the best of Rivera here, with his 6.585 hits allowed per every nine innings on average beating Rivera. Mariano gives up 6.939 hits per nine innings. Tommy Byrne, who labored for the Bronx Bombers over 60 years ago, is third.

4. Strikeouts Per Nine Innings Pitched

While Rivera holds the New York Yankees’ single-season record for this statistic, with 10.867 strikeouts per nine innings in 1996, he is just fourth on the Yankees’ career list at 8.255. David Cone, Gossage and Roger Clemens all have him topped here, but Rivera has thrown more innings than any of the three, displaying how he has maintained his greatness over time.

5. Strikeout to Walk Ratio

Only three Yankees have a ratio of over four strikeouts to every walk issued. Rivera is the indisputable king of the Yankee hurlers for this category, which shines the spotlight on a pitcher’s control. He has struck out 4.040 men for every walk he gives up, with Mike Mussina at 4.019 and David Wells in the show position at 4.007. Current New York stalwart CC Sabathia completes this superfecta in fourth at 3.089 strikeouts for every bases on balls he delivers.

I have been a New York Yankee fan since the middle of the 1960s.

Sources:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/riverma01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/leaders_pitch.shtml

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Michael Pineda made a strong pitch to be in the New York Yankees‘ rotation.

Pineda allowed one run and five hits over five innings in the Yankees‘ 1-1, 10-inning tie with a Detroit Tigers split squad on Sunday.

”Seems like he’s putting it all together,” New York catcher Russell Martin said.

Pineda is competing with Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia for three starting spots behind opening-day starter CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda.

”I’m focusing on making good pitches,” Pineda said. ”I feel a little more confident on the mound.”

Derek Jeter hit a leadoff homer in the first for the Yankees. The New York captain, who also had a double, played for the second time in three days after missing eight days because of a stiff left calf.

”My leg is fine,” Jeter said. ”I haven’t run hard, but I haven’t had to. I’m making progress. I’m happy where I’m at.”

New York’s Alex Rodriguez was hit on the left side by a Brayan Villarreal pitch in the seventh and left the game. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said A-Rod was examined, is OK and is expected to play in the team’s next game on Tuesday night.

Left-hander Duane Below, among three candidates for the Tigers’ fifth starter spot, gave up one run and three hits in 3 2-3 innings. Ramon Santiago had an RBI triple in the third.

”I’m judging by what I see,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said of the rotation competition.

Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain was released from a hospital Sunday, three days after dislocating his right ankle bouncing on a trampoline. He will be in a cast for six weeks and there is no timeframe for his return.

”I am optimistic that he’s going to pitch for us this year,” Girardi said.

Detroit right-hander Doug Fister, who left his previous outing Friday in the fifth inning of because of soreness in his right middle finger, is improving. It hasn’t been decided whether the right-hander will make next scheduled start.

”It’s much better,” Leyland said. ”A little stiff, not sore. I don’t forsee any problems, but like I said the other day, I don’t look at anything as a minor injury when you start messing around with your key guys.”

Leyland also is focusing on bullpen depth, in which Below could also be a candidate.

”I know I’ve got a fifth starter, I don’t know who it is, but I know I’ve got one,” Leyland said. ”So, I’m real bearing down on this bullpen situation. I’m a big bullpen guy. To me, that is a huge piece of this puzzle.”

Collin Balester replaced Below in the third and proceeded to load the bases, but got out of the jam by getting a grounder from Jeter. The right-hander gave up four walks and two hits in 2 1/3 shutout innings.

New York eighth-inning set-up man David Robertson, coming back from a bruised right foot, gave up one hit in a scoreless eighth.

”Didn’t have any problems,” said Robertson, who expects to be ready for opening day.

New York closer Mariano Rivera threw his sixth shutout inning of the spring, but did give up his first hit, a sixth-inning double to Delmon Young. The right-hander extended his stretch of not allowing an earned run in spring training to 27 consecutive innings, dating back to 2008.

NOTES: Detroit LF Quintin Berry made two strong catches, including a full-out diving grab on Dewayne Wise’s drive in the ninth. … Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte, who ended his brief retirement by agreeing to a minor league contract on March 16, is scheduled to throw batting practice for the second time Tuesday. He could pitch in a spring training game before the team breaks camp. … New York RF Nick Swisher could return Tuesday from a groin injury. … Hughes is to pitch in a minor league game Monday, which is an offday for the Yankees. … New York optioned INF Ramiro Pena to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and reassigned RHPs Manny Delcarmen and Kevin Whelan, C Jose Gil, and OFs OF Colin Curtis and Cole Garner to its minor league camp.

TAMPA, Fla. — Now that the exclamation point has settled in — Andy Pettitte is back! — here come the question marks.

As he is approaching 40 and re-emerging after a year and a half away from baseball, can he be a front-line pitcher again? If so, who goes? CC Sabathia is locked into his recurring role as ace of the New York Yankees’ pitching staff. And Hiroki Kuroda, despite a so-so spring, is penciled in at No. 2.

And then what?

Even before Pettitte’s thunderclap announcement Friday that he was un-retiring, the Yankees were already sorting through four starters — Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes and Michael Pineda — for three rotation spots. And now, if all goes according to plan, the left-handed Pettitte, 39, is expected to join the Yankees at the start of May.

It is an embarrassment of riches, though that has never embarrassed the Yankees before.

It still did not prevent Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine from tweaking Pettitte and the Pinstripes on Friday, telling reporters in Fort Myers, Fla.: “Is he going to be a starter or just pick people off? I thought they had too much pitching before. Now what do they have? Too, too much pitching.”

Derek Jeter sensed that Pettitte might return.

“I knew he was itching … thinking about it, but a lot of people say that,” Jeter said.

The New York shortstop was a little surprised Pettitte decided to come back after not pitching last season.

“He retired, mainly, because he wanted to spend time with his family, but maybe momma got tired of him a little bit,” Jeter said with a smile. “He didn’t talk about it at all last year, and then he started talking about it this year.”

Notes

• Chase Utley is so private about his injuries that players on other teams ask reporters for updates on the five-time All-Star. Good luck with that.

Utley still hasn’t played in a game for the Philadelphia Phillies this spring because of a chronic knee condition that forced him to miss the first 46 games last year. He’s not participating in team fielding drills or taking grounders during batting practice, but is hitting.

Utley, however, may be getting closer to seeing action, though he wouldn’t use those words.

“I’d like to play in a game next week,” Utley said.

• San Diego outfielder Carlos Quentin is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks after he undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday.

The 29-year-old Quentin says he began to experience inflammation in his right knee after reporting to spring training, and the team’s medical staff has been monitoring the situation since.

General manager Josh Byrnes expects Quentin to miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season.

• Yankees closer Mariano Rivera threw his third consecutive scoreless inning in New York’s 6-3 win over the Houston Astros.

Rivera needed just eight pitches to extend his spring-training stretch of not giving up an earned run to 24 innings. The last earned run that the right-hander allowed came on March 15, 2008, against Tampa Bay.

New York’s Hiroki Kuroda allowed one run and three hits in four innings, throwing 49 of 59 pitches for strikes.

• Barry Bonds has been given a 30-day extension until April 20 to file written arguments in his appeal to overturn his obstruction of justice conviction. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the extension after it was not opposed by federal prosecutors.

Under the new schedule, the government will have until May 21 to respond.

The rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees has gotten quiet in the last few years.

There may have been just a little bit too much respect overall between the two teams, and the Red Sox side has seemed a little too respectful. The hatred between the two team’s fan bases has remained intact, but the animosity between the two teams seems almost non-existent.

That’s not a good thing. Rancor between the Red Sox and the Yankees helps give baseball a lot of its character. While the Red Sox have some weaknesses going into the 2012 season – the starting pitching, the bullpen and shortstop – they are not going to concede anything to the Yankees this time around and they will play with more of an edge.

Bobby Valentine will demand it. Valentine knows that it is his job not to like the Yankees and he has plenty of experience at that vocation. Valentine was manager of the New York Mets while the Yankees won four World Championships in five years. His Mets were beaten in one of those World Series confrontations (2000) with the Yankees.

It seemed like former Red Sox manager Terry Francona went out of his way to take the hate out of the battle between New York and Boston. In the last few years, it didn’t seem like he had the personal animus for the Yankees that Red Sox fans have in their blood. That point was driven home recently when Francona, in his capacity as ESPN color analyst on its baseball broadcasts, ventured into the Yankees lockerroom.

There was nothing uncomfortable about this process for Francona. In fact, the Yankees welcomed him. He hugged Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter. They hugged him back. He hugged other players like Mark Teixeira and Bill Hall and Yankee coach Tony Pena as well. When he embraced Rivera, he told him that he hoped he did really well, something that he could not say when he was manager of the Red Sox.

He seemed a bit too chummy with his former rivals. No doubt that Francona took a mature and reasoned attitude in the dugout with him when battling the Yankees, but in doing so he may have taken much of the emotion out of it. That may have kept incidents between the two teams to a minimum, but it didn’t necessarily help his team.

Valentine will not be a day at the beach for the Red Sox players. He has a pushy, edgy personality and he is very opinionated. If you get on the wrong side of Valentine, it will be next to impossible to turn him back around. But he will not take the Yankees for granted. He will carry a gallon of gasoline with him and he won’t hesitate to pour it on the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry and then light the match.

Welcome back to the hatred.

Reference:

New York Post – Former Red Sox manager gets hugs from Yankees

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/francona_gets_hugs_from_yankees_G9iePklLdjAGfcPpRm1AXK?utm_campaign=OutbrainA&utm_source=OutbrainArticlepages&obref=obinsource

The New York Yankees are perhaps known more for their power sluggers through the years, rather than their handful of dominant pitchers.

Mariano Rivera is one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
wikimedia commons

With the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio paving the way for the Yankees’ World Series runs over the past 100 years, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the fantastic efforts put in by the top-flight pitchers who have donned the pinstripes.

Here’s a look back at the top ten pitchers in New York Yankees history, considering only stats tallied while in Yankee uniforms:

1) Mariano Rivera: It’s hard to put a closer at the top of this list, but he gets the nod for No. 1 because of his complete domination of the game since 1995. At no point in baseball history has a pitcher been able to make opposing hitters look this silly by utilizing just one pitch – a devastating cutter.

Rivera is a 12-time All-Star, five-time World Series champ, four-time MLB.com Closer of the Year, and ranks No. 1 all-time in the MLB in saves with 603. He has hinted that 2012 may be his final season in the big leagues.

2) Whitey Ford: Ford, a 1974 Hall of Fame inductee, spent his entire 16 years of baseball duty as a member of the New York Yankees. He is a 10-time All-Star, six-time World Series champ, Cy Young award winner, and all-time leader amongst Yankee pitchers in wins with 236.

3) Red Ruffing: Ruffing, a 1967 Hall of Fame inductee, was a six-time All-Star selection and six-time World Series champ. He earned 231 of his 275 career wins as a member of the Yankees, including four consecutive years between 1936 and 1939 of tallying 20 wins or more.

4) Andy Pettitte: Pettitte tallied 203 of his 240 career victories while in a Yankees uniform, including 21-win seasons in 1995 and 2003. His tactical approach on the mound helped the Yankees win five World Series titles between 1996 and 2009. Pettitte earned three All-Star nods during his two stints in New York.

5) Ron Guidry: Guidry, whose number was retired by the Yankees in 2003, made four All-Star appearances with the club between 1978 and 1983. He also went 41-10 between 1977 and 1978, to help the Yankees win back-to-back World Series titles.

6) Lefty Gomez: Gomez, a 1972 Hall of Fame inductee, tallied 189 wins in a Yankee uniform to propel the team to five World Series titles between 1932 and 1939. Gomez was a perennial All-Star between 1933 and 1939, making seven appearances in the game.

7) Mel Stottlemyre: Stottlemyre, a five-time Yankees All-Star, earned a career-high 21 victories for the Yankees in the 1968 season. He was a dominating presence on the mound between 1965 and 1969, earning 12 or more victories in each of those seasons.

Goose Gossage: Gossage, a 2008 Hall of Fame inductee, ranks No. 3 all-time amongst Yankees save leaders with 151. Besides his four All-Star nods as a Yankee, he tallied 27 saves in 1978 to propel the team to a World Series championship.

9) Mike Mussina: Not only is Mussina a borderline Hall of Famer, he is a five-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, and winner of 270 games. He tallied 120 victories as a Yankee, good enough for No. 12 all-time on the Yankee charts.

10) Waite Hoyt: Hoyt, a 1969 Hall of Fame inductee, tallied 157 victories during his stint in New York. He was a key starter in the Yankees’ 1923, 1927 and 1928 World Series championship seasons, with 62 victories in those three seasons.

Who else deserves a spot on this list? Let me know in the comments.

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York resident and baseball fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

Sources

www.mlb.com, MLB, player and team stats

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I don’t like the New York Yankees. Actually, I shouldn’t say that—I loathe the Yankees! Make all the nasty comments you want, Yankees fans, most baseball fans are on my side.

The ageless Mariano Rivera.
Wikimedia Commons

That being said, I shamelessly will build my baseball fantasy team around Yankees. In years past, that meant drafting Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter in the early rounds, but times have changed. Like them or not, these are the top five Yankees in fantasy baseball.

Mariano Rivera (RP) — I have this vision of the Yankees 50 years from now playing in the World Series, the team payroll at $10 billion. It’s the bottom of the ninth and out rides a grey-haired Rivera on a motorized scooter. Mo shuts down the game and the Yankees go on to win World Series championship No. 28. Last season, the 41-year-old Rivera finished with an earned run average under 2.00 and WHIP under 1.00 for the fourth straight year. He’ll never be to old to draft as your primary closer.

Mark Teixeira (1B) — Much is made of Teixeira’s annual slow starts, but his numbers always are there in the end. He has 30-plus homer runs and 100-plus RBI in each of the last eight seasons. Furthermore, he has whacked 39 home runs in two of the last three years. His batting average has declined in each of the last three years, but you can’t have it all. Power up with Teixeira in the late third or early fourth round.

C.C. Sabathia (SP) — If nothing else, drafting Sabathia will leave you one less thing to worry about during the season. The large lefty has posted five straight seasons with at least 17 wins and an ERA under 3.50. Furthermore, he flirts with 200 strikeouts every year. Sabathia is one of the top 10 pitchers in baseball and should be drafted accordingly. Will he make it out of round four? Um, fat chance!

Curtis Granderson (OF) — Few players in the game can offer Granderson’s combination of power and speed. Last season, he posted career highs in home runs and RBI with 41 and 119, respectively, and—don’t adjust your monitor—scored a league-leading 136 runs and stole 25 bases. Personally, I’m skeptical of a lifetime .267 hitter coming off a career-best year, but feel free to draft him in the second round.

Robinson Cano (2B) — Yes, I make no secret about my dislike for the Yankees, but Cano is one of my favorite players to watch (and own on my team). The guy simply is a hitting machine. Over the last three seasons, he is batting .314 and averaging 27 home runs and 104 RBI per season. That’s off-the-charts production for a second baseman, which is why Cano will fly off your draft board in the first round.

* Unless otherwise noted, draft projections are based on participation in a 10-team fantasy baseball league with standard 5×5 scoring.

More fantasy baseball from this Yahoo! contributor:

Fan’s Take: Top Five Boston Red Sox in Fantasy Baseball

Fan’s Take: Top Five Toronto Blue Jays in Fantasy Baseball

Fan’s Take: Top Five Baltimore Orioles in Fantasy Baseball

Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who roots for the New York Mets (and any team that is playing the New York Yankees ). A dedicated fantasy baseball player since 1998, his games of choice growing up were Strat-O-Matic and MicroLeague Baseball

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com.

The Official Site of Major League Baseball.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Last season ended too soon for the New York Yankees, at least, in my opinion. With spring training underway, there are several things I’m looking forward to in the upcoming season.

Mariano Rivera

If this season is the last for Mariano Rivera as speculated, I intend on watching and appreciating every game he pitches. For 15 years, the closer provided stability and reliability in a position known for its short life span, he will be missed. It’s hard to stay out of the spotlight when you play for the New York Yankees, and you’re as good as Rivera is, but he managed to do it. I can’t imagine the Yankees without him.

Ivan Nova

As Phil Hughes fell apart last season and A.J. Burnett was being himself, Ivan Nova came along when New York needed him. The young pitcher impressed in his first season in the big leagues. I’m hoping against a sophomore slump. He was a welcome surprise last season, but there are higher expectations this year. It will be interesting to see if he can handle the pressure.

The New Kids

Jesus Montero was the talk of the town this time last year. Now, the young catcher is in Seattle after a trade brought Michael Pineda to New York. Before pitching an inning for the Yankees, Pineda has the pressure of being the man who cost New York Montero. If Pineda pitches well, it won’t matter what Montero does in Seattle. It’s hard to see the young catcher gone, but a good young starting pitcher can ease the pain.

DH

With longtime Yankee, Jorge Posada gone, the Yankees will have a new full-time designated hitter. Raul Ibanez takes over the spot in the lineup. After batting .244 last season, the 39-year old Ibanez will need to do better in New York, especially considering the younger Montero could be in that spot.

The Future

When Mariano Rivera retires Derek Jeter will be the last of the Core Four. It will be interesting to see which of the young players step up as the new leader of the team. Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, and Curtis Granderson are possible candidates.

The start of the season is one of hope. Every team starts fresh with postseason dreams, some more realistic than others.

Vonda Menard has been a New York Yankees fan for over 25 years. Her stepfather first brought her to Yankee stadium as a young child, where she fell in love with Don Mattingly, and the Yankees. She makes the pilgrimage from Connecticut to New York yearly, to expose her boys to the same experience.

Sources:

http://rotochamp.com

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