Is Robinson Cano Really a 5 Hitter? Sure, Why Not?!
This year it looks like Joe Girardi is going to have second baseman Robinson Cano hitting in the 5 hole. There’s no doubt that Cano is one of the best hitting second basemen in the league, and probably one of the better hitters in the AL in general. The main question is whether or not he should be hitting 5th for the Yankees.
ESPN’s TMI Blog looked at this yesterday, displaying different statistics based on where in the lineup Cano was hitting. In 2009, Cano was significantly stronger batting 6th and 7th rather than 5th in the order. He hit .299, .322, and .328 while hitting 5th, 6th, and 7th in the order respectively, and he has relatively the same sample size in terms of at bats at each batting slot (214, 177, 235). His OPS was almost a full 100 points higher in the 6 and 7 holes too.
The numbers shout that Cano should be hitting lower in the order, and while baseball is a game of numbers, they do not speak the full truth. Cano is a year older and has another year of experience under his belt. While he’s growing more and more into the MLB, he’ll naturally adjust to a different spot in the order. But that’s not even my main argument. Cano has about the same amount of power, maybe a little less, than the other potential number 5 hitters in the lineup. He may have not hit as many home runs as some of them, but he was better than them in terms of slugging percentage. The .520 slugging percentage that Cano put up last year beats Swisher’s .498, beats Granderson’s .453 (although that is widely considered more of an aberration), and is 2 points lower than Posada’s .522. Cano led the team in doubles last year with a pretty impressive 48 two-baggers, beating Swish by 13, Posada by 23, and Granderson by 25. With the 1-4 hitters on base those extra base hits will be important. In fact, even singles would be great! And guess what, Even the .299 batting average that Cano put up last season out of the 5 hole beats Posada’s complete average
of .285, and destroys Swisher’s and Granderson’s .249.
If you look at the numbers like that, it proves that Cano would be a good 5 hitter either way really. The only argument that can be made against him hitting there is that he is still not a very patient hitter. But if you say that, I’m just going to say that it is fairly likely that when he gets up he is going to have some runners on base, and pitchers really aren’t going to have the option of pitching around him (note that when I say fairly likely, I’m not saying most of the time, just better than the average). That and as he hits in that slot more, he’s going to get used to it, and he’ll learn to become a more patient hitter. He’s got the tools to be one of the best hitters in the league. I’m not saying he’s going to win the batting title (especially with Mauer in the picture…), but he’s going to make a damn fine 5 hitter for the Yankees.
PS – As I write this, Cano nearly took Lester’s head off with a 2 strike pitch. He’s for real. And he’s hitting fifth tonight.
Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com
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