It's been a disappointing season for the Yankees and those disappointments have led to some strange results.
This season has been largely forgettable for most Yankees fans. Years from now, the only moment worth remembering will be the Captain's last stand and rightfully so. However, all the misfortunes have led to some strange factual oddities. Here's a list of five of them that virtually nobody saw coming before the season began:
Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran were offensively below average
These two guys were brought in to restore order and get the Yankee offense back on track after a dreadful showing in 2013. They also didn't come cheap, signing for a combined $130 million. With their great expectations came great disappointment though. Whether you prefer OPS+ or wRC+ they will both be below average when it's all said and done.
Yangervis Solarte led Yankee regulars in on-base percentage
Sure he was traded for Chase Headley who came in and did an admirable job, but Yangervis Solarte logged more time at third base than any other Yankee this year and will go down in history as the regular third baseman for the 2014 Yankees. Of those nine regulars, he is tops with an unimpressive .337 on-base percentage. That just seems unacceptable from a team that spends over $200 million on player salaries.
Brett Gardner led Yankee regulars in slugging percentage
One of the few Yankees having a fine year, Gardner has put up career highs in home runs and RBI. Still, he's a player whose value is tied to his speed and his glove so he shouldn't be relied upon as a power source. However that's exactly what the Yankees did and it's no surprise that they'll rank 14 out of 15 AL teams in runs scored.
Ichiro Suzuki led Yankee regulars in batting average
Just a few weeks into the season it became apparent that Ichiro would have to see extended playing time in right field instead of the extra outfielder role he had been penciled in for. To his credit, he did about as well as a 40-year-old singles hitter can do, racking up those singles while adding little else. It's alarming that Jacoby Ellsbury is the only one within striking distance of Ichiro, even then it's about a ten point difference.
Masahiro Tanaka led the team in WAR
The crown jewel of the Yankees' expensive winter came into 2014 as an unknown quantity. Joe Girardi even tempered expectations by making him his number three starter. Tanaka proved he belonged right away, taking the league by storm until a mid-season elbow injury put him on the shelf. Essentially the Yankees got half of a season out of Tanaka, and a half Tanaka was enough to be the 2014 Yankees' MVP.
When do pitchers and catchers report again?