Joe Girardi has made his decision. Derek Jeter is going to lead off when he gets back from his calf injury. This is the wrong choice, and although lineup construction does not affect a team’s win-loss record very heavily, a few wins taken away could mean the Yankees miss the playoffs in 2011.
The playoffs are no given for this team, and moving Brett Gardner away from the top of the order is a decision that affects the Yankees negatively. Over the past two seasons, Gardner’s on base percentage has been .383 and .363 respectfully while Jeter’s has been .340 and .324. Additionally, Gardner has actually had more power as well, as his isolated slugging percentage of .103 and .146 over the past two seasons trumps Jeter’s declining marks of .100 and .065.
The decision here is easy. Bat your better hitter in the more important spot of the lineup. Gardner is an ideal leadoff hitter because he is extremely patient and is able to get on base, not because of his stolen bases. Jeter is simply not a high on base player. He is still relatively productive compared to most shortstops, but he is not a top of the order hitter on a team like the Yankees.
With an injured bullpen and starting rotation, the Yankees need to maximize their productivity on the offensive end. Keeping Jeter in the leadoff spot for what he did throughout his career is a move that the Yankees may end up regretting, and it does not coincide with their “winning” attitude.
