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  • What Ichiro’s Trade to the Yankees Means to Fantasy Baseball

What Ichiro’s Trade to the Yankees Means to Fantasy Baseball

Michael Dixon —  July 23, 2012 — 5 Comments

Ichiro on First

Update, Monday, July 23 at 9:58 EST: Ichiro will make his Yankees’ debut on Monday, against the Mariners in Seattle.

We’ll see if he stays in right when Nick Swisher returns, but look for him to be a fixture in the New York lineup in one of the corner outfield spots going forward.

Update, Monday, July 23 at 7:25 EST: The Yankees Twitter page quoted Manager Joe Girardi saying that Ichiro is in the team’s plans at left field.

Time will tell if that holds, but it appears as though Ichiro is at least in the short term plans for the Yankees lineup. For those of you unaware, the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners have agreed to a trade, sending long time Mariner Ichiro Suzuki to the Bronx. The trade was confirmed on both the Mariners and Yankees Twitter pages.

 


Since Ichiro is owned in more than 95 percent of ESPN fantasy baseball leagues, this does carry a great deal of significance to many players out there. While the Yankees are a more favorable fantasy team than the Mariners (better hitter’s park, better protection), there is one problem that I see if you own Ichiro. Take a look at their lineup from Saturday’s game at Oakland, and how the players (plus the oft-platooned Andruw Jones and injured Nick Swisher) from that lineup stack up to Ichiro’s.

Position Player R HR RBI SB AVG.
SS Derek Jeter 53 7 27 7 .311
CF Curtis Granderson 67 26 53 6 .249
3B Alex Rodriguez 52 14 43 11 .272
2B Robinson Cano 63 22 56 1 .318
1B Mark Teixeira 54 19 65 2 .257
LF Raul Ibanez 27 12 41 3 .241
DH Eric Chavez 18 8 20 0 .276
C Russell Martin 23 10 24 1 .180
RF Dewayne Wise 11 3 8 7 .262
N/A Nick Swisher 40 14 54 1 .258
N/A Andrus Jones 17 12 26 0 .229
N/A Ichiro Suzki 49 4 28 15 .261

There are some negatives and positives to look at for Ichiro and his fantasy owners here. Let’s start with the bad:

Most of the best fantasy hitters bat at the top of the order, or heart of it. In addition to just being better hitters than those who bat at the bottom, they get more opportunities to bolster their numbers. The Yankees’ lineup can shuffle a little bit, but as long as they’re healthy, the top five will be Jeter, Granderson, Rodriguez, Cano, and Teixeira, even if the order of that fluctuates (which it can and will do). So, we’re talking about a guy who will at best be the sixth hitter, and when you throw Swisher in the lineup, he’s probably looking at seventh.

But I am looking at the left field and designated hitter spots and seeing room for Ichiro to be a constant player in the lineup. While the power numbers don’t stack up, Ichiro still gets on base at least as well as Ibanez, Jones, Wise, or Chavez, and moves around the bases significantly better than any of them (excluding Wise). It’s also worth noting that according to the YES Network, Wise will lose his roster spot to Ichiro.

 

If I was managing the Yankees, I would make Ichiro my starting right fielder (moving Swisher to left), and bat him in the nine spot. Ichiro isn’t the player that he used to be, but he still has many qualities that are desirable for a lead-off man. In the American League, the number nine hitter is often another lead-off man, as they want someone dangerous on base when the lineup turns over. So, if Ichiro is on base and stealing his way into scoring position, the lineup is turning over to some of the best run producers in baseball.

On top of that, while Ichiro isn’t a power guy, the move from Seattle to New York will only help his power numbers. Yankee Stadium is friendly to all hitters, but especially lefties.

So on balance, I am calling this a good move for Ichiro and his fantasy baseball owners. If you’re in one of the five percent of the fantasy baseball leagues where he’s unowned, I would pick him up and put him in a utility or fourth/fifth outfield spot. There are places for him to play in New York (especially when you consider the DH), and the chances will be there to put up greater numbers with better protection. So while he’ll lose some at-bats batting in the bottom-third of the Yankee lineup, he’ll do significantly better for his fantasy owners.

 

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Michael Dixon

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Dixon was born and raised in the Bay Area, where he still proudly makes his home. In his time on this planet, one lesson has stuck with him more than any other. The designated hitter is unconstitutional and must be banned effective almost 40 years ago. Okay, maybe it’s not that harsh. But he certainly prefers the National League style of play. No matter what league the game is in, low scoring games are always better to watch. Dixon participates in fantasy sports of all kinds, but nothing quite matches baseball’s everyday strategy.
  • http://fantasybaseballcrackerjacks.com Clave

    The short right porch should be good for an extra 5-6 homers for Ichiro, even though he’ll lose at bats batting 8th.

    • http://fantasybaseballcrackerjacks.com Dixon

      Harold Reynolds projected that he’ll bat at the top of the order, which I guess would move Jeter to number two. I don’t see that happening, but his run totals could be pretty strong at the bottom of that order, as he’ll be on base for some dangerous guys when things turn over.

  • http://fantasybaseballcrackerjacks.com Clave

    I bet he’ll hit 9th more often than not, out of deference to Jeter. It’s not like hitting second is foreign to Jeter, but they tiptoe around him usually.

    If Ichiro does hit leadoff then I’d imagine that’s an extra 15 runs. Huge.

    • http://fantasybaseballcrackerjacks.com Dixon

      I also don’t see Jeter having the pop to hit number two anymore, not in that order anyway. This isn’t exactly a small ball team. I would actually move A-Rod to second before Jeter.

  • http://fantasybaseballcrackerjacks.com Clave

    Wow, I hadn’t occurred to me that A-Rod would be good in the second spot, but now that you mention it… I wonder what his girlfriends would think though.