Why Rob Refsnyder should be the Yankees’ starting second baseman

Rob Refsnyder was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1991 and was adopted by a couple from Southern California.

In my previous post I wrote that Rob Refsnyder’s Spring Training numbers cannot be ignored by Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman. With a batting average of .400, he is doing better than many MBL player right now. I know this is only Spring Training. You see it every year that the minor leaguers are eager to prove themselves and are off a hot start, while the Major Leaguers are off a slow start most of the time. Besides that, pitchers are focusing on their control and they are trying to add new pitches to their repertoire, so the focus is not on the weakness of the opponent.

But not only Refsnyder’s ST numbers are impressive, take a look at his Minor League numbers.
He started his professional career with the Charsleston RiverDogs (A full season, South Atlantic League). With that club he clearly had some problems to adapt to pro pitching. He only hit .241 in 2012.
The next year he split the season with the RiverDogs and the Tampa Yankees (A Advanced, Florida League). Clearly used to the level he played at, he hit a magnificent .370 that earned him a promotion to Tampa. With Tampa he hit .283.
In 2014 he started the season with the Trenton Thunder (AA Eastern League). Once again his batting average was something special: .342. After sixty games he was promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the AAA International League. With the RailRiders he hit .300 in seventy games (287 at bats). At AAA level he struck out 67 times in 77 games but he also proved that he can be a patient hitter with 41 walks.

But next to the hitting there is also the defensive side. Compared to his major competitor at second base, Stephen Drew, Refsnyder’s fielding percentage is much better at AAA. Sure there is room for improvement with a fielding percentage of .988, but it is better than Drew’s .955.

It think that the Yankees should make Rob Refsnyder the Opening Day starter at second base instead of Stephen Drew. But because the Yanks paid Drew $5 million to play second base, he has been named as the opening day starter….
I wonder how long he will be protected by the brass.

As far as I am concerned Refsnyder will take over the role of everyday second baseman soon. If he can keep up his numbers at the majors he will be a valuable addition. I rather have a homegrown kid than a $5 million mercenary who is hitting a meager .077 during Spring Training so far. .077, that is less than ten percent. Please Brian Cashman, release the guy. He is blocking the spot of a talented player.