MLB Power Rankings: Week 22 – Part 2
The New York Yankees might not have had their best playing options available this season due to consistent injury concerns but they are now on track to make it through to the postseason as winners of American League and East division.
The Yankees have had only one dependable starter in their rotation this season in CC Sabathia and he alone has been enough in getting the better of the opposition sides. Sabathia is atop the list of best pitchers in the AL and is a leading candidate to bag
the Cy Young Award this year. He has been supported well by the relievers and he would now want to maintain fitness with form so as to lead the Yankees further in the postseason. A Divisional Series alone is not what the Yankees will aim for.
Ideally, the Yankees will have wanted Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez to feature in almost every game they play, more because of their productivity on the plate rather than fan base. However, injuries forced both All-Star players to miss this year’s midsummer
classic along with numerous Yankee games. A-Rod has been fighting a persistent knee injury and is now in rehabilitation with an aim to possibly go full-stretch in the postseason. A-Rod is a force to reckon when it comes to the playoffs especially and this
season, expect nothing different. He would go all-out to reiterate his authority on the baseball circuit.
The first name that strikes to the mind whenever Yankees are in question is Jeter. The captain of the pin-striped jerseys might not have had the most perfect of starts this season but now, he is back to his hitting ways. He completed 3000 career-hits just
before the All-Star Game and went on to miss the star-studded encounter to avoid further injuries. He placed his team ahead of fame and has now shown why with a batting average of .417 in the month of August alone. His career-hits have rapidly soared to 3055
and he would aim to complete 3100 before the end of regular season.
Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson are the emerging heroes of the Yankees and are consistently proving their mettle on the big stage to ensure that they are capable of leading the Yankees in the years ahead when Jeter and Rodriguez might not be in the ranks.
Both players have been in sublime hitting form since the onset of the season and along with Mark Teixeira, are hammering Grand Slams at will. If the team gets into momentum where runs come in plenty, the lack of ability in the rotation might not be of serious
concern.
Boston Red Sox were all-set to enter the playoffs as the leaders of American League and East division but a late onslaught by the Yankees has crushed their hopes, for the time being at least. The Red Sox have slipped to third place in the rankings this week
and are in a constant battle with the Yankees for the top notch in the East division.
The Red Sox and the Yankees are heavily dependent on their batters and from now onwards, the better performing unit will make it through to the World Series. Both teams are assured of a spot in the playoff.
Note: Stats in this feature are as of August 25, 2011.
Continued in Part 3
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