Over at Bronx Baseball Daily, the other writers and I are compiling evaluations of the starting lineup and possibly rotation for the Yankees. First on my list is Robinson Cano.
Cano might just be the most improved starter on the team from last year. His BA and SLG are up 50 points from last year, and he’s nearly doubled his home run total. Not too shabby? He has also eclipsed the 100-run and 200-hit milestones for the first time in his career. He only needs two more doubles to reach 50, which would be another first in his career.
He has only missed one game this season (not including tonight), which is a very good thing. Durability is sometimes taken for granted, unless you are a Mets fan, of course. The Yankees fans of the past decade know what it’s like to have pitchers hit the DL left and right, but losing positional players can be harder on a team because they play everyday.
Some analysts believe Cano is capable of winning the batting title. As most may know, he came excruciatingly close in 2006 and has ever since tried to maintain statistics at that same level. Well here’s my analysis: If he never leads the league in batting, he will still most likely lead the league in number of hits. Playing everyday has its advantages.
The Yankees have the option to keep Cano in pinstripes until 2013, so get used to him. With almost five complete seasons under his belt, at 26 years old, his career is only blossoming.
