In yesterday's game against the Chicago White Sox, Yankee's three-hole "slugger" Mark Teixeira bumped his batting average up a whopping 36 percentage points from .153 to .189. He achieved this by going 4-of-5 at the plate, including a 2-run double (just his fifth of 2010) that capped off a 5-run seventh-inning for the pinstripes, shutting the door on the Sox in a 12-3 victory. In his last two games, Tex has increased his average by 39%, his hit total by 55%, and his RBI total by 25%. What a difference a series makes, huh?
Marky T struggled mightily at the start of last season (his debut campaign for the Yanks), and he is struggling even more mightily so far in 2010. At the end of April last year, he had recorded a batting average of exactly .200, an OBP of .367, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, 11 runs scored, 14 hits, and 3 multi-hit games. The consensus in the organization, the fanbase, and the media was that A-Rod's absence was the largest factor in Teixeira's poor start. I had my doubts about this for two reasons: a) he is a notoriously slow starter, especially in April, and b) he had Matsui and Posada behind him in that month. Yes, neither Matsui nor Posada was particularly brilliant, but Tex was definitely getting his share of hitable pitches and was simply failing to deliver...
...much like this season's opening month, only this April, A-Rod has been holding down the clean-up spot in just about every game. So how did Mark's April stat line turn out with Rodriguez hitting behind him? .136 BA, .300 OBP, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 11 runs scored, 11 hits, and just 1 multi-hit game. Well, so much for the that excuse.
Yet despite all this statistical evidence against him, Tex is still the one of the most valuable players in the majors, even during times like these when his numbers suggest otherwise. On what grounds can I make such a claim about a sub-.200 hitter? First and foremost, you have to look at his defense. In terms of fielding, Teixeira is the best first baseman the Yankees have had since I've started watching the club way back in 1994/5. Yep, that means he's better than Tino and Donny Baseball. His range is exceptional, he makes all his throws with a speedy release and pinpoint accuracy, and he makes difficult scoops, snags, and catches with impressive regularity. Tex is the only starting infielder on the team not to make an error so far this season, and he held the highest fielding percentage of any Yank (excluding the pitchers) last season at .997. That was below only Adam LaRoche and Todd Helton in terms of first baseman who started at least 130 games in 2009.
But beyond the percentages, Tex serves as a kind of calming force in the Yankee infield, a presence that is a definite comfort to pitchers and the rest of the squad. Having him at the bag means that A-Rod, Jeter, and Cano can rush their throw a little more without having to worry as much about the accuracy, because they know the skill of the glove on the receiving end. Pitchers too can be a little more risky with their pitch selection, especially inside to lefties, because they know most balls hit down the line, no matter how hard, have a chance of getting caught. This man has never allowed his brilliant defense to be dragged down by his lack of effectiveness with the bat, and I don't care who you are, that takes a lot of mental fortitude.
Secondly, Teixeira has worked the count on the opposing pitcher more intensely than any Yankee this season, with the possible exception of Nick Swisher. Time and time again, as I've glanced over the Gameday application that tracks pitches, Tex's ABs have jumped out at me, not because of the results, but because of the sheer volume of pitches that this man sees. 8, 9, and 10-pitch ABs are a constant feature of Mark's game, even when the payoff is minimal. He currently ranks 13th in the majors for number of pitches faced, and is far-and-above the leader on the team. If nothing else, Tex consistently gets his walks and has a huge impact on the pitch count of the starting pitcher. A contribution like that cannot go overlooked, although for the most part it does, since it's not a result that shows up in the box score. Does that mean Mark is also missing pitches that he should be driving into the gap instead of fouling to the side? Certainly. However, in this day and age, I dare say many a manager would like to have a guy who makes the pitcher work to get him out, rather than a free-swinger who is as likely to get a hit as he is likely to make an out on the first or second pitch.
The bottom line is that when Mark Teixeira is swinging the bat well, his defense and his approach at the plate are excellent. When Mark Teixeira is swinging the bat horribly, as he has been this past April, his defense and approach at the plate are still excellent. This man does not get impatient or frustrated when in a slump like so many so-called professional athletes do. He does not allow what he does (or doesn't do) at the dish to affect what he does in the field. Mark Teixeira is a smart ballplayer and a professional athlete, and it shows in the way he carries himself and the way he plays the game, even when his statistics don't. That, to me, is the mark (ha! I'm awful) of a great player.
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